Stairway to No-Mans Land
by AussieJM
Summary: Alternate version of events regarding Ivy and Steffy's confrontation on the stairs at the Forrester Estate
1. Chapter 1

Imagine this... Alternate version to the Ivy/Steffy stair situation

Steffy arrives at the Forrester Estate to confront Ivy about her recently confessed undying love for Liam.

"I am glad to see you are packing Ivy. You need to leave town! Wyatt and Liam DO NOT need this chaos in their lives, hell I do not need this shit either. But I do want to know why?"

"Why what Steffy? Why I think you are an entitled princess who thinks she can do no wrong? Why I think Liam can do so much better than you and that he deserves it? Or maybe you want to know why I am better for Liam? Well guess what Steffy we don't always get what we want. Unless we are Stephanie Forrester, because apparently you always get what you want when you want it. Because you're Steffy Forrester, and the rules don't apply to you. You make reckless choices and don't care about the consequences. After all you did kill your own baby."

Little do Ivy and Steffy know that Liam had just pulled up at the Forrester Estate and was in the process of opening the front door, hearing every hate filled word Ivy was spilling.

"How dare you Ivy. How dare you bring Liam and my precious daughter into your hate-fuelled rage! Yell at me, spit your hateful words at me but don't you ever, EVER, mention Aspen again. Our precious baby would have been so loved, I have never wanted something or someone more than my desire to have my baby girl. She was my world. Without her, I felt like I no longer existed, that I had no future. Trust me, I know that the reason she isn't here with us is my fault, I know how that one stupid decision that I made turned my world upside down, it turned Liam's world upside down. But that does not give you the right to try and use that against me. Trust me on this I live with the pain of my stupid decision every single day. Every day I wonder what her life would have been like, who she would look like, who she would have taken after. Would she be my wild child or would she have become another calm space? The thoughts of what could have been are my punishment, they are my prison. So no, you don't get to mention that sweet, precious baby. You don't get to enter her into your arguments about me nor do you have the right to enter them into arguments with me. She is OFF LIMITS IVY!"

"So let me get this straight Steffy. You think that because you have an inner turmoil about the death of your child that no one can bring up your recklessness. That I can't say that if that was me, that if I was pregnant with Liam's baby that I would have done every single thing in my power to keep my baby safe."

"You Bitch..." Steffy screams as she slaps Ivy across the face "you play the high and mighty card, yet all you are is an evil manipulating bitch." As Steffy's hand moves away from Ivy's reddened cheek Ivy shoves Steffy backwards causing her to trip on a bag Ivy had left on the stairs. "STEFFFFFFFFFFYYYYYYY" Ivy Screams.

As Steffy tumbles to the landing Liam rounds the corner yelling "Ivy what have you done? Why did you push her? What gives you the right to talk to my Fiancé about our daughter?"

"Liam I'm sorry, I didn't mean for her to fall!"

"Steffy, baby, can you hear me? Steffy don't move my love!" At this point Liam reaches for Steffy's phone, which had fallen out of her purse during the fall. Calling 911 Liam notices the rest of the contents of Steffy's purse including a little white stick with two lines on it.

"Don't you touch her Ivy!"

"911, what's your emergency?"

"My fiancé just fell down a flight of stairs, she's not responding, we are at the Forrester Estate please help us!"

"Sir, sir please calm down, is she breathing?"

"I, I think so"

"Okay, sir that's good, now can you see any visible signs of trauma, is she bleeding at all?"

"I can't see any, but why is she unconscious, please hurry she's pregnant!"

"She's WHAT!" Ivy exclaims.

"Sir, help is on the way, they are about 3 minutes away, can someone meet the paramedics out the front of the house?"

"Yes, Ivy go wait for the Ambulance, bring them straight in!"

"Sir, I need you to check that she is still breathing for me, make sure you don't move her."

"She is still breathing, are they here yet, we can't lose another baby..."

The paramedics arrive and assess Steffy's condition, as a precaution they fit her with a spinal collar before rolling her onto her back. When they roll Steffy, Liam notices her cradling her slightly rounded stomach, holding their baby tight.

"Mr Spencer, is she allergic to anything?"

"No, no she isn't, but she is pregnant!"

"Sir, how many weeks along is she?"

"I, I, I don't know, I literally just found the test in her purse!"

"Sir it is going to be alright, are you going to ride with us?"

"I am not leaving her!"

At this point Steffy starts to rouse, moaning in pain calling out for Liam "Liam... Baby, our baby"

"I know sweetheart, we are on our way to the hospital, it's going to be okay my love, everything is going to be okay!"

During the Ambulance ride, Liam makes a call to Dr Caspery asking her to meet them in the emergency room. He informs her that Steffy has taken a tumble down a lot of stairs and they just found out she is pregnant.

"Liam, Liam!"

"SHhhh baby I am right here."

"Li...am, I'm ... I'm preg."

"Sweetheart I know I found the test, it's going to be okay. Dr Caspery is going to meet us at the Emergency Room."

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

"Hey now, enough of that, you need to focus on staying awake, on being here with me, everything is going to be okay!"

Upon arriving at the hospital, Steffy is rushed away. Liam continues to hold Steffy's hand until it is no longer physically possible, their fingertips grazing as the Doctors and Nurses push Steffy's stretcher into an emergency room. Liam sits in a cold, hard, plastic chair outside Steffy's room trying to process everything that has happened. Dr Caspery approaches Liam asking how this happened and to inform him about Steffy's condition.

"Liam! I just checked in with Steffy and the Emergency Medical Team. She has just had a MRI scan to rule out any spinal injuries, brain bleeds and broken bones. The results of the scan look good so far."

"Is that safe for the baby?"

"Yes Liam, I made sure that the doctor on Steffy's case knows she is pregnant so we decided that the best way to assess all and any injuries was with this type of scan."

"So Steffy looks like she is going to be okay, right Doctor?"

"That's correct."

"And the baby? Please let our baby be okay, I don't think _we_ could handle losing another child."

"The doctors first priority, much to her disgust, is Steffy. Now that they have ruled out any internal bleeding and spinal injuries, I am able to come and give Steffy her prenatal exam. I thought you might like to be present for it. From everything her other doctors have told me everything seems like it is going to be fine."

"Liam" Steffy weakly calls out as he and Dr Caspery enter the room.

"Hey beautiful, you gave me quite a scare you know!"

"Our baby, is our baby alright? Please Doctor tell me is he okay?"

"Let's find out shall we."

Liam slowly rises from the chair beside Steffy and perches himself on her bedside, making sure to give her plenty of space and taking note of her visible injuries. Doctor Caspery slowly wheels the ultrasound machine towards the anxious couple, choosing to give both Liam and Steffy a moment to regroup with each other.

"Okay Steffy, I am going to lift your gown up so I can put some gel onto your abdomen. I am sure you remember and I am sorry, but the gel is going to feel rather cool on your skin. How far along so you think you might be Steffy?"

"I wouldn't think any more than 6 maybe 8 weeks. Everything has seemed so normal, work has been stressful and ever since we lost Aspen and I had all those difficulties, my cycle has not exactly been predictable so pinning down an exact timeline is tricky."

Steffy and Liam anxiously wait both sending silent prayers that everything will be okay with their little miracle.

Doctor Caspery starts the ultrasound. Instantly, a sigh of relieve can be heard when the 'whosh whosh whosh' of their baby's heartbeat fills the room. Liam can't help but let out a whisper of "thank you Aspen."

"Okay Steffy, Liam, everything is looking really good, dare I say normal! So, based on what I can see and some measurements you look to be further along than you think Steffy, in fact I would say you're measuring at around 16 weeks. It is hard to tell because every pregnancy is so different. Mum, Dad would you like to see your babies?"

"Sixteen weeks, Doctor are you sure, that's almost halfway along. Wait did you say babies, as in more than one baby? Steffy queries urgently.

"Ah I was wondering if either of you would pick up on anything apart from the words 'okay'! Both foetuses appear to be of a good size, they appear to be inside separate amniotic sacks, which makes them fraternal twins. I understand that you yourself Steffy are a twin."

"Yeah Phoebe and I couldn't have been more the same yet so vastly different at the same time!"

"Okay Steffy, Liam, as of the next four weeks you my dear are going to need to start slowing down. Based on your medical history this pregnancy was already going to be in the higher risk category, but now with it being a multiples birth we need to keep you as calm and stress free as possible. Which is going to mean stopping work, it is going to mean you will need to remove any confrontation from your lives and it certainly means taking it easy on stairs!"

"We understand Doctor. Trust me it is taking every ounce of self-control I possess to stop myself wrapping her up in cotton wool and bubble wrap for the next 24 weeks. She will be taking it easy, even if I have to tie her to the couch!"

"Trust me baby I am going to follow the doctor's orders to the letter. I am still in shock about twins let alone falling down that flight of stairs."

"Doctor, is she allowed to take regular pain killers while pregnant. I can guarantee that tomorrow Steffy will be feeling the effects of the fall and I can't stand to see her in any pain."

"It is perfectly safe for Steffy to take Tylenol during her pregnancy. My advice is to use it sparingly, try heat packs and showers or baths to relieve some of the aches and pains you are bound to have tomorrow. If the pain increases bring her straight back in to the hospital. I expect you to do the same thing if you have ANY cramping, discomfort or bleeding. Remember you fall into what we call the high-risk category of pregnancy. I am going to assume the ER doctors are going to keep you in for a few more hours and I know that they will want you to have a follow up appointment in the coming weeks, but I too would like to start seeing you every 2 weeks. I will have my secretary arrange a series of afterhours appointments for you. Steffy, Liam, relax, enjoy this time, be excited, get prepared remember that you are having twins and when there are multiples involved things don't always go to plan. We are going to aim to get you to your full 40 weeks, but if these babies are as independent and stubborn as their mother they will arrive on their own time!"

"Thank you so much Doctor, you have no idea how grateful I am for every single piece of information you have just given us. Thank you for making sure our babies are okay. Liam and I cannot express how truly grateful we are."

"You are more than welcome, the pair of you. Now get some rest I can guarantee there will be a swarm of people here to see that you are okay with their own eyes. That's Doctors Orders Steffy!"

At that very moment a nurse gently knocks on Steffy's door, letting both her and Liam know that there is crowd of people in the waiting room claiming to be family and wanting to know about Steffy's condition.


	2. Chapter 2

A quiet 'Knock, knock' resounds throughout Steffy's room.

"Excuse me Ms Forrester, Mr Spencer, there have been several people coming up to the nurses' station claiming to be both Spencers and Forresters. We wish to respect your privacy by not passing any information about the accident or your condition across to them, but a man claiming to be 'Bill Spencer' is starting to become rather restless and quite obnoxious. We were wondering if you, Mr Spencer could possibly come out and address your families or at least redirect the actual family members into our family lounge, we understand that some journalists will be trying to pass themselves off as family."

Liam quietly asks the nurses not to talk to anyone, even if they are claiming to be family. He reassures her that he will be out to the waiting room to speak to any family shortly.

"I am sorry for all the hassle; if it isn't too much trouble could you please let them know that I will be out soon to talk to them. We just need a little bit of time together first."

"Not a problem Mr Spencer, Ms Forrester."

As Liam walks back towards Steffy's bed he notices the beaming smile that has spread across her face while she lovingly rubs her tummy. It is only now; in this very moment that he actually notices the tiny protrusion, that is their two precious babies.

"What's that goofy grin for Daddy?"

"How did I miss that? How did we not notice your belly growing? Have we really been that distracted from one and other these past few weeks?"

"Oh I can distinctly remember you enjoying the expansion of another part of my anatomy not so long ago; I guess we now know why my boobs are so much bigger and look so amazing in everything!"

"I always think they are amazing!" Liam retorts while wiggling his eyebrows at Steffy.

"Flattery will get you everywhere my dear, especially over the next few months!"

"I can't believe it; I can't believe we are really pregnant, that we get to become parents... That my beautiful, sexy as hell fiancé, my soon to be wife and I are having not one but two beautiful little miracles coming our way."

"I'm excited too Liam! Stunned, overwhelmed and scared beyond belief but I am mostly excited. I have dreamt about this day for what seems like forever. Ever since, _**I**_ lost our beautiful little girl... All I wanted was to give you the family you deserve. A tiny person made up of equal parts of you and me." Steffy sorrowfully reflects.

"But I have to tell you Liam I truly don't think I am going to be able to fully relax until I am physically holding them in my arms. I NEED to know that they are here, that they are safe but most importantly that they are ours... forever!"

"Oh baby, I know you are scared! Heck, I am nervous too. I am scared that I might miss something, that, that I might overlook something. That heaven forbid I am away for some stupid work reason and you need me! My head is full of what ifs, but the biggest one is what if I suck at this dad thing! I was worried about you all the time when it was just you and I what I am I going to be like now, now that you are carrying such precious cargo! I know Ivy stirred up a lot of our past tonight, she had no right to bring our darling daughter into your disagreement, but you have to know I do not now nor will I EVER hold you responsible for losing Aspen. Baby it was an accident; a horrible, tragic accident! I know for a fact that if wiping out on that bike had ever entered your mind you would not have been anywhere near it. Hell you would have walked home from Thomas's house if you'd known what was going to happen!" Liam states as he wipes the tears from Steffy's cheeks while depositing a loving kiss to her forehead.

"Oh Liam, I love you so much! It is funny that you worry about sucking as a dad because I worry that I am going to be the worst mum ever! Oh, heaven help us if there is a little girl growing in here... I can distinctly remember how Phoebe and I treated my Mum and Dad... but do you know what, together we can get through anything this pair throws at us. Together we can take on the world! And I can't wait to start this adventure into parenthood with you, my almost husband!"

"We really need to change that... I can't wait to ditch the almost, maybe there is a priest here at the hospital and we can finally make you Mrs Spencer again!" Liam states while kissing Steffy.

Suddenly, the moment is broken as Steffy's nurse knocks on the door.

"I am so sorry to interrupt again Mr Spencer, Ms Forrester, but the wolves are getting hungry, they want information and are starting to harass my staff."

"We are so sorry! We know how impatient our families can be especially both our fathers! Liam baby you need to go and talk to everyone let them know I am okay, a little bruised and a lot sore but I am okay. Can you please tell them to all go home and get some rest, and let them know that the doctors should be releasing me in a couple of hours. I know that this will not appease our fathers so let them come and see with their own eyes that I am fine. I do not think this is the time to share all our news; it would only stress Dad and Bill out even more. Just knock before you come in... I want everything covered." Steffy responded.

"Baby, are you sure you will be okay on your own? I can ask the nurse to wait with you while I am gone."

"Liam GO! The sooner you get out there and let them know that I am fine, the sooner their QUICK, and I do mean quick visits will be over! All of this also means we will be that much closer to being able to go home. Where we can have a nice long soak in the tub and cuddle on the couch watching Bob Hope movies. So please, get out of here... But hurry back to me!"

"Okay... All right... I'm gone! Please promise to buzz the nurse if you need anything!"

"Promise, Love you!"

To which Liam quickly replies with "Love you too baby Mumma!" instantly rejuvenating the beaming smile on Steffy's face.

Liam enters the waiting room where he is instantly accosted by both their families and the paparazzi. Ridge, Bill and Katie notice the uneasy look in Liam's eyes and Katie stands to make a statement towards the journalists that have managed to sneak inside the building.

"If I could please have your attention, Ladies and Gents our families would like to thank you for your patience here tonight, but unfortunately, we are not sharing any information at this time. We acknowledge that this is your job, but at this moment in time, our priory is our family. We wish to inform you that both Liam and Steffy will be making a statement via Spencer Publications either later tonight or first thing tomorrow morning. We ask you to respect our family's privacy at this time. Any questions you wish to be considered for the press release need be sent to the PR department of Forrester Creations and Spencer Publications. Thank you for your time, goodnight." Katie calmly states to the gathering media.

"Thanks for handling that Katie... although I don't know if Steffy will be up to making a Press Release tonight."

"Liam none of that matters right now, it will happen when it happens. Is my daughter okay?"

Liam notices a few journalists still loitering within the waiting room and refuses to make comment on Steffy's condition while under their close watch. At this moment, he remembers Steffy's nurse mentioning the family waiting room that is conveniently down the hall from Steffy's room.

"Dad, Ridge, Eric, the hospital have a family waiting room that is private we can go to so we can discuss Steffy without being overheard. Follow me." The Forrester/Spencer Clan all follow Liam to the waiting room and close the door.

"Guys, Steffy is okay, well she will be with lots of rest and recovery time. The Doctors performed a lot of test just a precaution to rule out both internal and spinal injuries. All reports are indicating that she is going to be fine, bruised, banged-up and rather stiff and sore but okay none the less. There are a couple of things we do need you to all do for us though. Firstly, as a result of this incident Ivy is to have absolutely no contact with Steffy, do not even let that women anywhere near either of us! The second request comes directly from my Queen, GO HOME! She wants you all to go home and rest, especially you Caroline! Over the next few days she will probably be calling on you all at different times to help us out with various tasks and there is no point in us all being zombies. We love you all greatly and thank you for your concern. Trust me I know exactly how you were all feeling, the only time I have ever been more scared than I was tonight also involved my beautiful Fiancé and we all know how tragically that ended."

"Liam, son, I know you mean well with your directives to go home, but until I see my baby girl with my own eyes I am not going anywhere!"

"Son for once Forrester and I agree on something... We need to see her."

"Dad, Ridge, we had a feeling you both would say this. Katie, Caroline she is only supposed to have two visitors at a time, do you two mind waiting here, Dad and Ridge will only be a few minutes. Steffy was very explicit about giving them a time limit!"

"No go the quicker they are done being protective Papa Bears the sooner the pregnant one in the room can get home and put her feet up!"

"Alright, so it's settled, ladies you'll wait here and Dad & Ridge will come down the hall to Steffy's room in just a moment. I just need to check-in with her first, make sure she is decent and up to having you lot come in and interrogate her."

"Wait a minute; you want me to wait even longer before I get to see my baby girl?"

"Ridge, honey, you need to calm down! Liam is just going to check that Steffy is fully covered, she was in an accident remember, which means she is not in her clothes anymore, she is in a horrible paper hospital gown. The last thing you and your daughter need is you barging into her room while she is exposed. I know I would be mighty pissed off if Uncle Bill just waltzed into my room if I were in the same situation. It is only going to be a minute longer!"

"Caroline is right Ridge, you of all people should know how insistent your daughter can be. I will only be like two minutes tops."

Liam leaves the waiting room and makes his way back to Steffy's room to discover she is no longer alone...


	3. Chapter 3

Previously on Stairway to No-Mans Land

I hope you are all enjoying this version of events considering the writers are making us wait for amazing STEAM scenes... we all know they are end game!

 _Liam and Steffy discussed their fears. The Families became restless for news on Steffy. Ridge and Bill finally agreed on something. Liam returned to Steffy's room to discover she was not alone!_

Before reaching the door to Steffy's room Liam could hear his beloved raising her voice. Instantly concern for her wellbeing sprang to the forefront of his mind, thinking that some reporter had somehow managed to find her room and were now harassing her about the accident and her condition.

"You need to leave NOW! You are not welcome here, you are not welcome at our house and you are certainly not welcome in our lives! Get out before I call the police and have you arrested!" Steffy screams at uncooperative Ivy.

"Steffy, you don't understand, it was an accident! I, I was not thinking! I just wanted you away from me and out of my way! I did not know you were pregnant, I did not think you would fall like that... God I am so, so sorry! I can only hope and pray that you and you baby are going to be okay. That one day both you and Liam can forgive me."

"Ivy you need to leave! You need to leave NOW! This is not helping Steffy and it certainly is not helping with our pregnancy! We do not need this added stress right now! So get out of this room, out of this hospital and if really want to help us, get the hell out of LA!" Liam shouts venomously at Ivy.

As stunned and speechless Ivy wipes the silent tears from her cheeks and despondently exits Steffy's room whispering a barely auditable "I'm sorry!"

Liam highly concerned for his Fiancés wellbeing rushes to her side, holding her tightly until she can manage to calm herself down. Steffy uses the closeness of Liam and his calm breathing pattern as a means to relax and as a guide to get her breathing to return to a normal rate.

Liam, knowing that Steffy needs him to be close right now, decides that instead of leaving Steffy again that he will phone his father and give him Steffy's room number. Within minutes, there is a knock at the door and before Liam and Steffy can finish saying 'come in' Ridge and Bill are almost at her bedside.

Noticing the look on her father's face Steffy states "Dad, I am okay! A little bruise and a lot sore, but I promise you, I am going to be okay, we are going to be okay!" she says with knowing look towards Liam.

"Steffy Darling, you can't keep doing this to me! I was worried sick! I had so many different scenarios running through my head and trust me none of them were pleasant! I was so worried when I heard that you tumbled down the stairs at Dads house, all I could think was please don't let me lose another daughter, I can't go through that again!"

"Oh dad, come here!" Steffy exclaims while pulling Ridge into a tight hug. "I am okay, see, a little bit black and blue, but I am okay! It is going to take more than a crazy, jealous cousin to take me out of this world and you know it!" She states while wiping a stray tear from Ridges cheek.

"I know Liam said you were alright but I just had to see it for myself. As your father, I needed to make that call on my own. I needed to check in with you, to hold you and have you physically tell me that you were alright!"

"I get it dad, but as you can see I am fine, now please can you take Caroline home, she needs her rest and the chairs in the waiting room are not comfortable for a regular person let alone someone who is rather pregnant! So please get out of here!"

"Okay, okay, I can take a hint! Bill I will send Katie this way."

"Goodnight dad! I will call you tomorrow!"

With one final kiss to the head, Ridge leaves Steffy's room to find Caroline and Katie.

"So dad, as you too can see Steffy is going to be okay, we all are going to be okay. Which means, when Katie gets here you both can say farewells and leave us. Steffy is going to be discharged in a few hours and after that, we are going straight home, home to our bed. So don't get to comfy in that chair!"

"Alright Liam I too can take a hint, I have organised for a Spencer Publications Limo to be waiting downstairs and I have also sent some security to your place to prevent any unwanted guest and media showing up. Steffy I am glad to see that you are doing well and that with some rest and recuperation you will be even better. Make sure that son of mine takes good care of you! Son you had better spoil her rotten. You let me know if he isn't Steffy!"

"Alright Bill that's enough, it's time we leave this pair alone! They have had enough to deal with tonight; I know we were scared senseless so I could only imagine what they have been feeling. Liam don't worry about the PR statement tonight. I'll make a blanket statement, saying that there was a terrible accident which resulted in Steffy being admitted to hospital for observations as a precaution. Any questions should be sent in writing to the PR department of Spencer Publications."Katie calmly informed the pair.

"Thanks Katie, I can't even think about facing the press at the moment. I know I am still trying to process what happened so being hounded by the press is the last thing I need right now. I just want to go home to our house, where I can have a nice long soak in the bath with my man and crawl into our bed where he can hold me tight and indulge my every whim!"

"Sounds like a plan my love, let's hope the doctors let us escapes from here soon and we can do just that. Go home and relax together."

"On that note, we are leaving, Steffy I am glad to see you are okay, Bill lets go, Will is going to be wondering where mummy and daddy are!"

"Bye guys and thanks for coming and taking care of all that PR and security stuff for us!" Liam states as Bill and Katie exit the room.

"Ahhhh peace and quiet again! How are you feeling? Are you in any pain? The initial lot of pain medicine is probably wearing off by now, we can call the nurse..."

"Liam!" Steffy interrupts, "I am good, a little sore and uncomfortable but nothing a nice hot bath and getting into bed with the man I love won't fix. Now please stop stressing and come and snuggle with me while we wait for the doctors. I think Dr Caspery mentioned that I needed to finish these drips before they would even think about releasing me, she said something about dehydration so by the looks of it we have a little bit longer to go.

Two hours later Dr Caspery enters Steffy's room.

"I come baring good news... All your test results have come back, it is all good news and by the looks of that almost empty IV bag you should be rehydrated."

"Really doctor, we can go home soon?"

"Yes Steffy you will be out of here in no time! Now I understand that your clothes had to be cut off when you arrived, I have arranged for a nurse to bring you a set of scrubs to wear home. Liam that IV probably has 5 minutes maximum left in it, how about you come with me to organised Steffy's discharge papers, that way we can get you two out of here as soon as possible. Now will you need to organise a car to come and get you or have you already done so?"

"Thank you Doctor! My father has arranged for a car to pick us up, but I was wondering if there was maybe a staff exit or a loading dock we could possibly use. I want to avoid the media who are camped outside the hospital if possible."

"I will see what the hospital security team can come up with. Let's go and get this paperwork started shall we? A nurse will be in, in just a moment to help you change into that set of scrubs. "

"Baby, I will be back as soon as I can, please let her help you change Steffy. Try not to be so independently stubborn and indulge me just this once!"

"Just this once, for you my love, but don't get used to it!" Steffy exclaims while poking her tongue out at Liam!

Fortunately, a mere 8 hours after being rushed into the emergency room, the pair were able to escape the hospital without the media discovering.

Arriving home to a darkened house Liam left a sleeping Steffy in the car while he unlocked the house and switched on some lights. Upon returning to the limo, he gently woke a dozing Steffy urging her to take her time when getting out of the car. Liam thanked the driver for all his help and assisted Steffy into their house.

Don't forget to review and subscribe to this story! The next chapter was an emotional one to write...

Coming up: Liam and Steffy confront their past, secrets are revealed and decisions are made.


	4. Chapter 4

_Writers confessions: I may have shed a tear or two while writing this chapter..._

As they enter the house, Liam gently eases Steffy onto the couch.

"Hey beautiful, can I get you anything? How is your pain?"

"Hey mother hen, stop fussing for a moment and just come and sit with me." Liam promptly stops fussing and Steffy slowly leans forward allowing Liam to slip behind her on the couch. Liam gently wraps his arms around her and places his hands on top of hers lacing their fingers together on their small bump.

"You really scared me tonight... before I discovered the pregnancy test in your purse my heart was pounding out of my chest, but once I saw that little white stick, I was so worried I was going to lose more than just you. Why didn't you tell me you were pregnant?"

"Honestly Liam, I had only just found out, I took the test at Forrester and when I went to find you I overheard Ivy declaring her unwavering love for you... I freaked out, personally I was worried we were about to have a Hope2.0 series of events and I was not about to let Ivy get in the way of us and our family. So I decided to go visit her at granddads house. I never thought that it would end this way. I just wanted to tell her to stay away, that there were things going on in yours and my life that she was not aware of... meaning our little baby. I never thought she would push me down a flight of stairs. I would never put out baby in danger like that... you believe me don't you."

"I know you wouldn't harm our baby or in this case babies. Now what do you say to a nice hot bath?"

"That sounds like heaven... but only if you join me! Please don't make it too hot!"

"Whatever my lady wants, my lady gets." Liam responds while raising his eyebrows at Steffy.

"Lucky all I want right now is to soak in that bath with the man of my dreams, the father of my children."

Liam disappears to go and run the bath while Steffy sits on the couch contemplating the night's events. Liam suddenly startles Steffy from her thoughts.

"Hey, where were you just then? You seemed like you were on another planet."

"Hmm, sorry I was just thinking about everything that happened tonight! It's a lot to process!"

"Well how about we start processing it together, in that bath?"

"That sounds perfect."

Liam and Steffy slowly make their way into the bathroom where Liam helps Steffy to remove the scrubs she is currently wearing. It is at this time they both notice the large, purple bruises that are starting to mark Steffy's body.

"Oh baby, I am so sorry this happened to you!"

"Hey! It is not your fault any more than it is mine! Now be a good Fiancé and her your pregnant almost wife into the tub!"

"Yes Ma'am"

Once the pair are comfortably settled in the bath, with Steffy leaning against Liam's chest Steffy starts to open up about what she went through earlier that night.

"Can I tell you something about tonight and you promise not to think I am crazy?"

"You can always tell me things no matter how crazy you think you are going to sound. After all you wouldn't be MY Steffy without a dash of crazy!"

"Hey be nice, remember I am carrying your children!" She states while elbowing him in the ribs.

"I know and I love you even more for that!"

The conversation lulls as Steffy slides slightly deeper into the bath and leans more against Liam making Liam assume she has fallen asleep again.

Out of nowhere Steffy whispers,

"She came to me tonight..."

"Who came baby?"

"Aspen... When I was unconscious, on the stairs it was odd. It was as if I was having this out of body experience. I could see you and Ivy, but I could not clearly make out what you were saying. All of a sudden, I had this feeling that someone was holding my hand. I, I looked down and, and she was there, with me, holding my hand. She kept telling me that 'they needed me, daddy needed me' and that 'Aunty Phoebe and Grandma Kelly were taking good care of her'. Oh Liam, I wish you could have seen her, she is so beautiful and her eyes, they were the same colour as mine... but they gave me that exact some look you are giving me now. They were... they were overflowing with love I could see deep down into her soul. Love for me, love for her perfect daddy and love her for her brother and sister. I am convinced Liam we have one of each cooking in here!"

"Oh baby, I wish I could have met her too." Liam quietly states, knowing Steffy needs to get this out.

"She, she doesn't blame me... for her not making it into this world. She kept telling me that 'I wasn't meant to be, mummy, that Aunt Phoebe and Grandma Kelly needed her more' and that 'we needed to find our way first'. Having her there was so bitter sweet, for so long now all I have wanted to do was hold her in my arms and let her know that Mummy and Daddy love her so very much and that we miss her every single day, and never let her go. It was so bizarre Liam, one minute I am standing there holding our little girl and the next she is whispering to me that she 'loves us all', that it is 'time for her to go back to Aunt Phoebe and Grandma Kelly' and I had to say goodbye to her all over again. Liam I got to hold our baby girl in my arms only to lose her again." Steffy sobs breaking down completely at the end of her story.

"Oh my darling, I... I... don't know what to say. A small part of me is ever so jealous that you got to see her and hold her in your arms, to kiss her sweet little face, but another part of me realises that even after all this time, that you, my love, are not the bad ass bitch the world thinks you are. You are a soft, caring gentle soul and it is in times like this I am reminded that you are not as strong as you want the world to think you are, that every now and then, you still need me to just hold you and let you know how much I love you. I know deep down that you needed to have that moment with our princess. You needed it to be able to move forward. You needed it so that you could enjoy every single moment of this pregnancy, without living in fear. Most of all I now know that our little girl is in safe hands, two women who are very special to us love her and she knows it. And knowing all this makes not having her in our lives every single day, that much more bearable."

"So Mum, Phoebe thank you for taking care of our little girl, it means the world to us!" Liam states while looking towards the ceiling.

Together they sit in a tight embrace until the bath water goes cold.

"What do you say we get out of here and get dressed...? I will even let you wear that pair of my sweatpants that you don't think I know you borrow when I am out of town on business!"

"You're not supposed to know about that! I'm sorry they are just so comfy and smell like you so in a way it's like you are still here, holding me close. Anyway, like you are one to talk... I know you take my shirt that was once yours, away with you!"

"Haha, you worked that out hey! What can I say; I don't sleep well when you are not with me!"

"Hmmm, I might have to have a conversation with both your bosses... Mumma can't have Daddy away all the time anymore after all who is going to go and get her peanut butter ice-cream at 3 in the morning."

"I am sure Grandpa Bill will be fine will keeping me based in LA, anything to keep his daughter in law happy. My other boss on the other hand, she may not be so forgiving. I may have to sweet talk that one; it may take some serious negotiations. She is a real ball breaker in the boardroom!"

"I am sure you can convince her. Maybe persuade her with your good looks and kissing techniques... I know they would work on any hot blooded woman let alone the president of Forrester Creations!"

"It seems like a lot to sacrifice, but if it's what you want, if it will make you happy, I'll do it!"

By now both Steffy and Liam are back in their room and dressed in his sweatpants and loose fitting tops. Steffy's bruising has continued to develop and she is still in a lot of discomfort.

"Baby, maybe it is time to take some Tylenol, Dr Caspery did say it was perfectly safe for the babies and we have tried using heat. Please, you know I hate to see you hurting."

"You're not going to stop are you?"

"For once in our lives together, you, Miss Independent, are going to do as I ask!"

"Okay fine, get me the darn pills! Ooooh can you make me a hot chocolate to go with it, I really feel like one?"

"And so it begins! You know I would not trade your crazy pregnancy demands for the world though, right? No matter how crazy they get, I will still love you." Liam states while dropping a kiss onto Steffy's head

"You better! Hey come back here and give me more of that, mumma just got a new craving!"

"I think I am going to like this craving! Wait, I know I am going to love this craving!"

After her Tylenol, hot chocolate and a short snuggle session on the couch Liam queries Steffy whether she is up for a quick trip upstairs.

"How are you feeling baby? Do you think you can handle a short walk upstairs? There is something I want to share with you."

"Just don't let me fall and we will be fine!" after seeing the look on Liam's face at her statement Steffy questions "Too soon?"

"Yeah, just a tad!"

The pair slowly get from their save haven on the couch and proceed to cautiously make their way upstairs, with Liam holding Steffy the entire way.

"You know when we lost Aspen and you left for Paris, I used to find myself up here, in what we had decided would be her room, all the time." Liam quietly stated while guiding Steffy forward into an area of the house she had yet to revisit since returning 'home'.

Liam slowly opens the door to Aspens room. Steffy's mouth falls open in shock; tears start to well in her eyes.

"I would spend hours upon hours up here, sitting in that chair, just holding onto the bear we bought her the day you told me you were pregnant. I would sit here with her bear in my lap snuggling that pink knit blanket that we just had to buy because Phoebe would have loved it. That blanket carried your scent, if I close my eyes and hold it close I can still smell it! I would sit here and rock in this chair and it made me feel like I hadn't really lost you, there was a time where I would tell myself that you had just popped out to the shops or that you were just at work. Somehow, having these moments made everything more bearable... I managed to get by."

Steffy peacefully sat on Liam's lap stroking his hair and kissing his head as he continued to tell his story. She knew how important this time was for them, as a couple, they were finally grieving the loss of their child together.

"For around three weeks I would just sit here hoping and praying that you were okay. That this time apart, no matter how much it was hurting me, was helping you. That this time apart was what you needed, that it was going to help you move on. Then one day a deliveryman showed up at the door. He had YOUR crib, the one that you and Phoebe shared and I, I, took it as a sign, that I needed to do this, for me, for her, for us. I think that deep down I knew that one day you would come back to me. And a major part of me wanted to be able to share this special space with you. You are the only other person who has seen this room. No one else has stepped foot into this space, not my dad, not Katie, not Hope and nor Ivy. None of them, this door remained locked until the day you moved back in, my love. I think a small part of me wanted you to discover it on your own, I feared that you would judge me or have you think that I was trying to pressure you into trying again, that all I wanted was to replace our little princess. This has been my special space for Aspen, a place that I can visit when I want to feel close to her, when I want to wonder what her life would have been like and how she would have changed our world for the better, now, if you want it to be, it can be ours." As his story comes to an end, Liam leans forwards and kisses away the tears that are falling from Steffy's eyes.

Tearfully Steffy responds while pulling herself closer to Liam's chest, holding on for dear life. "I, I would like that. I can't believe you finished her room."

"I had to do it, for me. I had just lost my entire world. One moment everything was perfect, I was married to the woman of my dreams, my other half. We were expecting a beautiful baby girl, we both had amazing jobs and our families were behind us 100% and the next thing I know I get the worst phone call of my life... my other half had been in a tragic accident and had yet to regain consciousness. It was at the moment I knew our world was being turned upside down, that nothing was going to be the same again, honestly I think when Dr Meade told me we had lost Aspen a small part of me knew I was about to lose you too. And I didn't know how to fight for you because I didn't know what I needed let alone how I could possibly make your pain go away. So I stupidly let you slip further into that dark space and the next thing I knew, you were gone, you left for Paris. I, I was hurting so much already that when I lost you too, I lost my ability to fight for what was mine, for what really mattered to me, for what I needed in my life."

"In a matter of weeks we lost our daughter and then I lost my beautiful, stubborn, independent wife. I look back now on everything that happened and I realise that I was blinded by grief. That Hope and Brooke could have told me that the sky was now green, the grass was blue, and I would have believed them. I can only blame myself for letting you slip away from me. I was dumb, I was in pain and all I could think was 'why do I keep losing all the important women in my life'. First I lost my mother, and then Aspen and when I thought I couldn't hurt anymore that I couldn't lose anyone else, I lost you too. I lost my way in this world and I stupidly trusted Hope and Brooke to guide me on the right course. So I am sorry. I am sorry I wasn't the man you needed me to be, the husband and father I should have been. I failed you, I failed the memory of our daughter and I failed our marriage."

"Liam, you didn't fail us. I failed us. The moment I stupidly decided to ride that motorbike I failed us, I failed our daughter. I put her in harm's way. I made the choice to ride that bike that day and I had that accident. I ruined everything, our lives, our marriage, our daughter, our future. That destruction is all on me! When I woke up in that hospital bed, I may have been confused but I too knew our lives were never going to be the same. I could see the guilt in your eyes, I could feel you blaming me for losing our little girl, and I felt you closing your emotions off from me I knew I was losing you. I could tell that on some level you hated me for ruining it all."

"In my heart and soul, I wanted to be with you. I felt you were my soul mate, you are my soul mate, but with everything that had happened, I felt like it was my fault and I could not change that. I should never have gotten on that motorcycle and you had told me not to."

"So I accepted that. I made the decision that for me to get past losing her, to get past killing my baby; I needed to get away from the reminders of what should have been. I had to get out of this house, the place we were planning to bring our baby home to. These walls held way to many memories, some of them beautiful and some of them oh so very painful. I had to get away from you, not because I didn't love you, oh god I have never stopped loving you, but because I loved you too much and I couldn't handle seeing the look of pain in your eyes every single moment of every single day. I needed to escape my reality in order to stay sane. I hope you know that I left because I love you, not because I stopped loving you."

"Don't do that; don't put all out issues onto you. I was at fault too, Steffy! I shouldn't have let you go! I promised you I would follow you to the ends of the earth and I failed, so don't you dare try to shoulder all the blame for our marriage breaking down. We were both going through something that no one should ever go through, losing a child! Neither of us knew how to cope with that. We could not focus on each other because we were both too busy trying to keep it all together ourselves."

"Leaving you, saying goodbye to you, it was one of the hardest things I have ever done. I need you to know that I wanted you there with me, but I was just too broken. I needed to fix me before I could even contemplate fixing us. And Paris, Paris helped me to slowly put all my pieces back together, the only thing Paris couldn't do for me was give me the one piece I was missing... you."

Liam and Steffy's conversation lulls, both caught up in the memories of their past.

"I think we had to go there, we had to get to our worst so that we could come back together and be the best couple and family we can be. I know I learnt a hell of a lot about myself and how I need to love you while you were gone. That time apart taught me how to be a better man, how to be a better husband. I now know that just loving you is not enough, that it is give and take, for so long I all I was doing was taking from you and not giving you what you needed. I now know that every day I need to remind you of my unconditional love, I need to show you how much I appreciate you. I plan to do this in so many ways my love, like having a cup of hot coffee ready when you wake; spontaneous weekend getaways together; or switching off the outside world and just relaxing together, here at home. We need to take the time to celebrate us, because soon, soon it isn't going to be just us."

"You know I think you are right. Deep down on some level we needed time apart, to rediscover who we are as individuals. That way, when fate brought us back together, we would be ready, to finally have our time. This time around, we knew who we were but we also had the knowledge of what we really could become on our side. You and I, Liam Spencer the 3rd, are destined to be together. Hell there are a handful of extremely special and powerful women watching over us, making sure we get our shit together, your mum, my sister, my grandmother Stephanie but most importantly our Aspen. She wants Mummy and Daddy to be happy more than anything in this world. Luckily for her, nothing makes mummy happier than daddy... except maybe diamonds and babies, diamonds and babies make mummy pretty happy too!"

"I am so glad you shared this space with me... I know how hard it is to open up about her, especially, about losing her, about our past. So thank you for sharing this with me, with us." Steffy states while placing Liam's hands on her belly.

"What do you say Mrs Almost Spencer, shall we head down stairs to bed...? I am sure I can find a Bob Hope movie for us to watch."

"That sounds amazing right now... I'm in but only if you promise to hold me tight and never let us go!"

"I am never letting any of you go anywhere! All four of you will always be with me, right here," Liam states while placing Steffy's hand on his heart. "You, Aspen, baby A and baby B, hold my heart in your hands."

"When did you become so perfect? How did I get to be so lucky? I can't wait to be able to call you my husband! We need to pick a date and act on it soon or you're going to have the Michelin man walk down the aisle!"

"February 5th"

"What?"

"Let get married on February 5th...

"Why that date, does it hold some special meaning...?"

"It was mums birthday."

"Then it is perfect! I don't need fancy; I just need you and our families! ...Is it silly to hope that this time my dad will walk me down the aisle...? We have been married twice and he has never 'given me away', maybe, just maybe, that was the missing thing... we have our love, we have our babies, we have our faith in each other, this time all we need is our families unwavering support! This time is going to be our forever time. I am never taking off my rings... I do not care how swollen my hands and fingers get over the next few months; I will always be wearing them even if I have to put them on a stupid chain around my neck! You are mine and I am yours, always and forever!"

Next time on Stairway to No-mans Land:

\- Morning sickness became a problem

\- Steffy discovered some interesting cravings

\- The dynamic duo informed Bill of their latest achievements

AN: Thanks so much for the reviews. Make sure you subscribe to this story by clicking on the favourites button below. If you are really enjoying my writing, let me know what you would like to see happen in the future. Want more of something... let me know what in the reviews or PM me! ALL feedback in appreciated


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

 _Previously Steffy and Liam were forced to grieve for their little girl, together, bringing up the emotions and guilt they both felt from of losing Aspen._

Steffy and Liam had had few quiet days at home, resting and recovering, today was the first day that Liam was heading back into work, even if he was only going in to pick up a few files and arrange a 'meeting' with his father at home, he was nervous to leave Steffy alone.

"Are you sure you are going to be alright here on your own for a few hours? I, I could ask Katie to find my Spencer files and I am sure Pam has already organised our things at Forrester so maybe she could drop them over here..."

"Don't you dare! I am supposed to be resting and staying calm not dealing my Aunt Pam and all her fussing. I will be fine, you are only going to be gone for a few hours, I have lots I need to do like call my mum, she keeps texting me to call her so knowing my luck I will still be on the phone to her when you get back. Plus, if you pop out it also means you can go by that bakery on Sunset Boulevard and pick me up one of their chocolate éclairs, the twins would really, really like one please Daddy."

"As long as you promise to call me if you need me or anything else, I hate leaving you here alone!"

"Hey I am a big girl I can handle it. You never know I might even manage to get a nap in this morning."

"Yeah, yeah, rub it in! Okay well if you are sure that you are going to be fine here on your own I am going to head out. I love you, take it easy and please try to get that nap after all you are growing the next generation of Spencers in there!" While leaning down towards Steffy's belly Liam whispers "Daddy loves you!" to the twins.

Shortly after Liam leaves the house, Steffy decides it is time to give her mother a call.

"Hey mum"

"Don't you hey mum me young lady! I have been trying to get a hold of you ever since your father called me from the hospital! You really know how to make your mother worry!"

"I am sorry mum, it has just been a really full on few days and Liam and I needed some time to just be us. You know I think we made a lot of progress these past few days, this accident scared the pair of us, I think we have finally started to grieve the loss of our daughter, together. It has been an emotional time. So I am sorry that I didn't get back to you sooner. But I was his priority and he was mine."

"Oh sweetheart, that can't have been easy for either of you, but we both know it was something that you needed to do as a couple to be able to move forwards with your lives."

"I know Mum, but it doesn't make it hurt any less, in fact it's made everything so raw again. I just wish I had my Mum here with me, no matter how old I get, or how fiercely independent I am, I am always going to need my Mum. No one knows how to hug me quite like you do Mumma, not Dad, not Thomas, heck not even Liam!"

"Oh darling girl, you know all you need to do is call me and I will be on the first flight back to LA! It may no longer be where I live but where ever my children are in the world that will always be my home; you and Thomas are my world. You just have to ask and I will be there!"

"Hey Ma, do you think you come home for a while. There is a lot going on here at the moment and I just, I am scared and I do not fully know how to deal with it all, especially all these emotions and the guilt surrounding Aspen. I just need my Mum."

"Oh baby girl, it is going to be okay, you and Liam are going to be okay. You both needed to go back to that dark day in order to move forwards. My darling, are you sure that you want me to come... This time is important for you and Liam; you need to process all these emotions and grief together. You know I will be there in a heartbeat if you and Liam want that, if you need me with you."

"Please Mum, come home... I need you, Liam needs you, we need you here. When I fell, I, I, had the most bizarre experience while unconscious. When I told Liam about it, he shared something with me. I can't explain it over the phone mum, I just need to show it to you. But I can't do that if you're not here now can I!"

"Okay, okay I get it! My big, strong, tough girl needs her mumma. I will be there as soon as I can."

"Why does everyone always think I am so strong? Why can't people see that I'm not unbreakable? That my tough girl routine is just that, an act!"

"Oh Steffy, I know all of these things but as your mumn I have also learnt that with you it is better to wait for you to ask for me, rather than you having me hover and force my love, comfort and support onto you. As a mum, this was one of the hardest lessons for me to learn, it was even harder for me to let go of you. For so long I felt I had to give you double the love and support, your share and Phoebe's share. My precious baby girl is a strong, beautiful, independent, talented young woman who no longer needs her mumma around all the time. You my darling have found your own daily support system, Liam, and that is a part of growing up."

"No matter how old I get or how solid Liam and my relationship is mum, I will ALWAYS need you."

"Okay Steffy, I get it! Let me arrange a few things here first and I will call you back with some travel details. I have probably missed the next flight back to LA so I will have to work it all out. I will make sure I am there as soon as I can be!"

"Mum you are talking to the President of Forrester Creations and your future son in law is the Vice President of both Forrester Creations and Spencer Publications. We have several private jets that you can use. Hell the Forrester International jet is currently in Paris. Call the International office and get them to organise the plane, and if they have any issues tell them to call the darn President of the Company." Steffy states while getting worked up.

A sudden wave of nausea hits Steffy, leaving her feeling hot and clammy and trying to breathe through the urge to vomit.

"Look Ma, can I call you back in a little bit, something has just come up and I need to deal with it."

"Honey I will call you once I have my travel details sorted. Take care of yourself; remember you were just in a major accident, so take it easy! Love you baby girl, I will see you soon!"

"Love you too Mum, use the darn jet!" Steffy states as she quickly walks towards the bathroom, abruptly ending the call with her mother.

Half an hour later Liam arrives home to find Steffy leaning against the cold tiles of their bathroom, hoodie removed, sweatpants off, with tears streaming down her face.

"Steffy, baby, what's wrong? What hurts, do you need me to call Dr Caspery?"

At that very moment Steffy gets a whiff of Liam's aftershave which causes her to promptly place her head back into the toilet, vomiting up the last of the contents of her stomach.

"Agh! You need to go shower and get that stench off you... you are not allowed to wear that aftershave anymore unless you never want to get laid again!"

"Baby, you love this aftershave, you complain when I don't wear it!"

"Yeah well things change... apparently the stench of it has the opposite reaction on my body, it now makes my stomach turn and not in a good way! In case you have forgotten I recently fell down a flight of stairs and vomiting really kind of hurts so if you love me at all you will strip off, shower, remove that stench and throw these clothes into the wash. Once you have done all that you can help me up off the nice cold floor!"

"Yes Ma'am!"

While Liam is in the shower, Steffy continues to talk to him about the pregnancy.

"You know I don't remember ever feeling like this last time... with Aspen... I don't remember smells making my stomach roll or my boobs being so big and I certainly don't think your aftershave had that affect on me!"

"Oh trust me... Your boobs were that big! I remember them fondly!"

"Liam! God help you when the twins arrive and my milk comes in!"

"I look forward to the day... but not for the reasons you are thinking! The day all of that happens will be one of the best days of my life, because WE will be a family, you, me and our two precious babes!"

"Oh yeah, and tell me Mr Spencer, what would be the best day of your life?"

"The day I met the most fiercely independent, maddeningly complicated, sexy as hell woman... that just so happens to be my fiancé!"

"Good answer!"

"I knew in that very instant my would was about the be turned upside down in the best way possible! You were a force to be reckoned with then and not much has changed... Although you do get more and more beautiful every single day. It's funny because just when I think I can't possibly love you anymore than I already do... you do something totally crazy and I fall in love with you even more! You are my beginning, my ending, my weakness, my strength. You are my entire world, you are it for me and I never want to experience life without you again!"

Liam looks over towards Steffy as he steps out of the shower and sees a torrent of tears pouring down her cheeks.

"You can't say things like that to this pregnant lady...You made me ugly cry... in the best way possible, for all the right reasons! Now get your sexy as hell ass over here and let me see if you pass the smell test!"

After a long drawn-out interrogation of the sniffing variety Liam queries Steffy.

"Well how did I do? DO I pass the test... can I kiss you now my Queen?"

After careful deliberation, Steffy responds.

"Yeah you'll pass! Unlucky for you I am far too sore from that fall because you, right now, in just a towel, oh the things I would like to do to you!"

"Oh really, tell me more!"

"You'd like that wouldn't you, for me to tell you about all think wild and wicked things I want to do with you, if you help me up of this floor, I may just have to reward you in some small way!"

"Oh my love, for you safety maybe you shouldn't tell me anymore, I don't know if I would be able to control myself and you my dear are not in any condition for what I have in mind..."

"Tease!"

"You have no idea how much I wish I could deliver for you tonight. But I will not put you in a situation where you could be hurt even more. I can guarantee what I have in mind does not fall under Dr Caspery's version of bed rest!"

"Hmmmph! I can tell you something else that is different with this pregnancy... I want you, like all the time! I constantly want to be having sex with you, I am always thinking about having sex with you, thinking of all the things I want to do with you, to you, my needs, my desires. I tell you baby, watch out, once I am all cleared to go and I feel able bodied again! Your baby mumma has a hell of an appetite!"

"Is that a promise, please let that be a promise!"

"Oh don't you worry that pretty little head of yours, it's a promise and I don't break my promises!"

"This sudden revelation would also explain the sudden increase in our extra curricula activities lately. It was like I couldn't sedate your needs, I swear your office door has been locked more than unlocked in the past 2 weeks!"

"Well I didn't hear you complaining at the time! In fact I am pretty sure you were doing quite the opposite of complaining... although I think the sauna may have been my favourite...!"

"Aghhhh Steffy, look what you do to me, a few words and a quick trip down memory lane and I revert to being a darn horny teenager all over again! I need another shower... a cold one this time!"

"Help me up and onto the couch before you deal with that problem would you please..."

After a brief cold shower, Liam joins Steffy on the couch, making her shuffle forwards a fraction so he can slip in behind her and wrap his arms around her.

"So I called my mum while you were at the office..."

"I am glad you managed to catch up, I know she has been texting you nonstop."

"Yeah, I was nice to talk to her... I asked her to come visit. And by asked I kind of demanded! I even instructed her to use the Forrester International Jet, I told her that it was cleared by both the President and the Vice President."

"Mmmm, let me guess she wasn't 100% sold on the idea."

"You got it in one. It was so nice to talk to her though, I told her that we had a big conversation about Aspen... but I left out the part about her visiting me while unconscious... I couldn't go there again without either you or her holding me.

"Well your mum will be here soon so you can talk to her as much as you would like and if you decide that you want we there when you tell her about Aspens visit then that's where I will be! I think talking about her like this is going to be good for us. She would have been the biggest thing in our lives, just because she isn't here doesn't mean we have forgotten her. I like talking about her."

"Me too, in some strange way it makes me feel closer to her. Hey I have a question for you and I want you to know that you can say no..."

"You know you can ask me anything..."

"When my mum gets here... is it okay... would you mind... can I please..."

"Steffy, you are never this indirect with anything!"

"Can I share Aspens room with her?"

"Yeah baby you can... I only kept it to myself because I needed you to be the second person to be in there. That day, the day we lost her, you mum she lost a lot of things too. Not only did she lose her granddaughter, but she lost a part of you, we both did, and then a little while later she lost the best son in law ever. So yes you can share that space with her." Liam continues

"I thought you were going to ask if she could move in here or something..."

"Oh hell no! I love my mother, I love her dearly but there is no way I could handle the fussing, not to mention my sex drive could not handle being suppressed. You know what I am like at the moment and it just would not work with her living here too... I will not do that while my mother is under the same roof!"

"Oh, there she is my wild woman!"

"So I asked my dad to come over for a 'meeting' later today when I was at Spencer Publications. I figured we could tell him about the twins; maybe let him know that I would be temporarily stepping down as VP at Spencer... Obviously we will have to remind him he is here as Grandpa Bill and not here to get a Statement for the Magazine"

"Well that shall be an interesting conversation... Hey what do you say we don't tell him about the twins, just to start with... maybe we tell him that you need to take a leave of absence from Spencer..."

Bill enters the cliff house catching the tail end of Steffy and Liam's conversation.

"And please tell me Steffy, what on earth could make my son step down from his position at Spencer Publications?"

"Well dad, when Steffy had the accident the other day, the doctors in the Emergency Room discovered some life changing news..."

"Steffy are you okay, don't worry whatever it is I will find the best doctors in the world to take care of you and make sure you come out the other side of whatever we are facing. We will get through it as a family!"

"Bill, Bill, BILL, GRANDPA! Calm down!"

"Don't tell me to calm down Steffy... This, this is a...a, Wait what did you just call me?"

"I called you grandpa... and you better get used to it, fast!"

"Are you telling me what I think you are telling me? Liam help your father out here..."

"Yeah dad, we're pregnant..."

Bill jumps up in pure excitement, practically jumping over the coffee table to give both Steffy and Liam a hug.

"Oh my god, I can't believe you have a little Spencer growing in there... Wait a minute, Steffy being pregnant doesn't explain why you son, need to take a leave of absence from Spencer Publications, Is everything okay, the baby wasn't hurt in the fall was it? I will fly in the best neonatal doctors in the world if we have to, I won't take any risks!"

"Dad I need to take leave from Spencer because I am going to be stepping up at Forrester..."

"Bill, Dr Caspery has recommended that I remove the stress from work out of my daily life until after the babies are born. Based on my medical history, after Aspen, she wants to do all she can to get me to 40 weeks. So for the next 24 weeks, our house is a stress free bubble! Liam and I are going to do everything in our power to make our family whole again. So I am stepping down at Forrester. I do think you should ask Wyatt to fill Liam's role at Spencer, it would be go for him to be more involved in the family business.

"Wait a second, rewind, did I hear you say babies..."

"So you were listening, you do remember Steffy is a twin right..."

"Yeah I remember, Phoebe right."

"It appears twins runs in my family... So yes you are becoming a Grandpa but you are also getting two for the price of one!"

"You know Steffy, Liam, this is like the best news ever! You know two babies means twice the spoiling though!"

"Oh gosh, so it begins, I guess we are lucky in some respects that we are already 16 weeks along, and it just means that dad you have less time to fill up our house with baby presents before they actually arrive!"

"Wait a second, Steffy you barely look like you have eaten lunch today. There is no way you can be hiding not one but two babies in that belly and be almost at the half-way mark... I am sorry son but you wife looks amazing!"

"Hey dad about that whole wife thing, we need you and Katie to keep the 5th of February free... We have decided that's when we are getting married."

"Your Mum's birthday, Liam! She would be so proud of you son!"

"You remembered, after all these years?"

"Some things, some people, you just never forget!"

"Well we have always known that any day would be special, but choosing this day also means we get to honour Kelly and make her a part of our day too. After all she is the main reason you're the man you are today, my hero, my gentleman."

"So is my leave of absence approved... because we kind of need to start organising everything now, Steffy needs to be completely off work by the end of the month... which conveniently is a week before our wedding!"

"Yes, yes, by all means yes! You two do what you have to do in order to keep the future heirs of this family out of harm's way!"

"Thanks Dad! Oh Dad one more thing... none of this is public knowledge, feel special, you are the first to know. Once we have our board meeting tomorrow at Forrester we will happily do our press release with Spencer Publications. But until then, really until we are closer to 20 weeks, we would like to keep this quiet, but we know with the shift in roles within both companies the chances of that happening are very low."

"Bill, for your grandbabies sake, can you please try to keep a lid on this for a little while...Find some other socialite and their scandal to blast in the tabloids. I don't need paparazzi hounding my every move when I am trying to stay stress free!"

"Whatever you want Steffy, you can have! Now I need to go and celebrate! I am going to be a Grandpa!"

"Dad until the board meeting tomorrow you can't say a word, not even to Katie!"

"Okay, okay I get it, I don't like it, but I understand! But know this, if Katie specifically asks I won't lie to her."

"Well if that does happen, if she does specifically say the words 'is Steffy pregnant' and only those word, we can accept that you need to tell your wife the truth. But Bill, please try and keep this under wraps."

"I've got to go... I have so much to do... there are trust funds to establish, gifts to buy, babies to spoil!" Bill states as he waltzes out the door.

"Well you dad too that way better than I expected. For some reason I had it in my head that he would be pissed about you standing down at Spencer... even if it is only temporary!"

"Baby you are pregnant, about to give him two grandchildren, you could have asked him to sign over the deeds to this house and give you 50% of Spencer Publications and he would have been straight on the phone to Justin! He was not kidding when he said that you get what you want, it's like a Bill Spencer free pass and they are rarer than Golden Tickets in Wonka Bars!"

Next time on Stairway to No-mans Land:

\- A mothers worry never ends

\- A change causes concern

\- Plans for the future are revealed


	6. Chapter 6

Previously on Stairway to No-Mans Land

\- Morning sickness became a problem

\- Steffy discovered some interesting cravings

\- The dynamic duo informed Bill of their latest achievements

"Steffy, sweetheart, are you sure you are ready to come back into work? We can postpone the meeting, everyone would understand!"

"Liam, I am fine, I just can keep anything down today, your children are being restless and it is making mummy's tummy roll! Not to mention I haven't had any coffee, and you know how I struggle to function without my morning caffeine! It's okay though, we will go in, have our meeting and mum can bring me home once we are finished, she is going straight from the airport to Forrester. I need to go in today, I need to do this, and we need to share our amazing news!" Steffy says while rubbing her belly. "On top of all, we need to let everyone know about our wedding date! Now onto more important things, does this make me look fat... can you tell I am 16 weeks pregnant, with twins? I do not want to give anything away, although I would not put it past mum to guess as soon as she sees me! Somehow, with Aspen, she just took one look at me and knew. Call it mother's intuition!"

"Okay baby mumma, if you insist, but promise me you will try to eat something, even if it is just a banana. And you look stunning, although your newly enhanced assets are rather distracting, I am not so sure I will be able to focus on what Madam president is saying with you dressed like that!"

"Oh good, so everyone's eyes will be distracted from this!" She says as she gently places her hand on her expanding belly, "I think it got bigger overnight, I am sure there wasn't this much bump yesterday!"

"Well I for one can't wait to see you with a giant belly!"

"Are you saying you want me to get fat?"

"You know that is not what I am saying, a big belly means healthy, growing babies, which means we are one step closer to holding them in our arms! And that my dear, will be a dream come true!"

"Have I told you today how much I love you? Have we told you how much we love you? See the twins agree... Come feel!"

Steffy and Liam are the last to arrive at Forrester that morning. They enter Steffy's office to a table full of board members and shareholders, who are all curious as to while there was such a sudden need for a board meeting.

"Sorry we are late everyone. I am not quite back to my normal self since the fall; things seem to have taken me a little longer than normal this morning. I hope we haven't kept you waiting for too long."

"Sweetheart, no one expected you to be back at work so soon. You shouldn't even be back at work, you should still be at home resting!"

"I tried to keep her at home Ridge, I truly did, but have you met your daughter, she is fiercely independent and what the woman wants, she gets. Have you tried telling her no recently, trust me it doesn't go down so well!"

"That's our Steffy, I have never known my sister to be any other way!"

"Okay enough about me and my strong will! I am sure you are all wondering why Liam and I needed to call this urgent meeting!"

"Yes we are and considering the people you have called into this meeting it must be pretty significant for this company!"

"You are correct dad, and I am asking that you let me get through what I need to tell you all without any interruptions! There are going to be some major changes around here, effective immediately, Liam will be temporarily taking my place as President of Forrester Creations. This decision was an easy one for us to make, it is only natural that when the President of a company needs to take a leave of absence, the Vice President steps up."

It is as this point that Liam reaches over and takes Steffy's hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"This shift in control isn't the only major change that is going to be happening around here. It has been recommended, by my doctors, that I take leave from work, and that I take it very easy for the next few months."

"Steffy, you scaring your father and I, what is wrong? Are you sick? Is that why you begged me to come back to LA, please tell me I am not about to lose another child!"

"Ma, calm down! The night of the accident, when I was at the hospital the doctors discovered something."

"We were given some life changing news!" Liam interjects.

"Life changing is one way to put it... You see the doctors discovered something, growing inside me, two something's actually."

"Steffy, I came to see you in the hospital, you told me yourself that you were okay, that there was nothing wrong!"

"And I was telling you the truth! The reason I am stepping down is that I am going to be on Maternity leave. I found out I was pregnant the afternoon of my fall and when I was in the hospital, we found out that... that there is going to be a second generation of Forrester twins!"

"Don't you mean Spencer twins my love?"

"You know they may carry the Spencer name but the will always be part Forrester, after all I am their mother!"

The board sit quietly watching the loved-up couple bicker about their children's identities, wondering how this news is going to affect the company and them personally.

"Sis, you said these changes are going to be taking place immediately, why the rush? From the looks of it you're barely pregnant, I know that you said it was twins but surely that shouldn't be the reason?"

"Oh brother bear, when I was admitted, Dr Caspery decided to give me a scan to see exactly how far long I truly was since I wasn't really sure, as it turns out, not only did we discover that we had double trouble cooking, but we are much further along than I ever thought possible. Our scan last week put us at roughly 16 weeks along, so considering that was a week ago I am 17 weeks pregnant."

"Nothing in particular from my scans or the fall have Dr Caspery concerned, it is just with my medical history... after losing Aspen, any pregnancy I had would have been classed as a risky, but now that these are two babies in the mix, this pregnancy officially falls into the high risk category. I am going to do everything in my power to protect these little ones and the added stress, no matter now minor, that is running Forrester Creations is just not worth the risk. I hope you can all understand!"

"Over the next few weeks you will still see me around the place, Liam is going to slowly be taking over and even once I am officially on leave, you will still see me around the place. We all know I won't be able to help myself! Liam will officially take over the role of president at the end of January."

"Now I can see some of you have a look of concern, I am sure some of that is for Steffy, the twins and her safety, but I know a lot of you are concerned about how I am going to be able to committee to this company 100% when I also work at Spencer."

"Liam you know I love you and I support you in all that you do because we are cousins and that is what we do but aren't you going to be spreading yourself a little thin. Running Forrester, VP at Spencer not to mention having twins on the way."

"At the end of the month, when I officially take on the role as President, I will take a leave of absence from Spencer Publications. My dad knows and understands how important it is for the next 24 weeks to be as stress free for Steffy as we can make it, for her sake and the safety of the twins. During this time my position at Spencer will be temporarily filled, which will make running Forrester Creations my only work commitment."

"We have thought long and hard about how we can make the best decisions for every invested party. Together, Liam and I think that this will be the best solution. I may be officially on leave but I will still be involved in Design approval, whether this happens via Skype, Liam bringing designs home with him or I occasionally come into the office. I need you to all know I am not now nor will I ever abandon this company or this family. I just need to put my own children first for the next little while!"

"Any questions?"

"I have one for the pair of you... If you are taking leave and Liam is stepping up as President, who is going to be his Vice?"

"It is funny you should ask that Thomas... I was wondering how you would feel about some extra responsibilities around here for a while. We all know you have worked hard and you deserve some credit for that. So what do you say, will you help my man run this place, help him return Forrester Creations to her glory days?"

"I would be honoured Sis!"

"So it is settled at the end of January Liam will be acting President of Forrester Creations. Obviously this has yet to be announced to any form of media so I don't need to remind any of you to keep your lips zipped. We did however inform Bill and Spencer Publications that they would be given the story. They will have the rights to any information about this pregnancy, my stepping down, our wedding and the birth when it happens."

"And speaking of our wedding, we need you to all keep February 5th free in your calendars... Steffy and I have decided that my mum's birthday..." Liam tries to finish his sentence but can't quite get the words out so Steffy takes over.

"We have decided that Liam's mum's birthday is the perfect day for us to get married. All we need is our families there with us and since this is the LAST time, I am ever walking down the aisle, daddy will you please walk down with me! We do have one request for our special day though; we would like it if you could all wear something pink... for Aspen." Steffy finishes with a whisper.

On that final note, Liam drops a gentle kiss onto Steffy's head, knowing how difficult it can be to bring up Aspen.

"Well I think this calls for celebration! I am going to be a grandma! I cannot believe you are pregnant! I cannot believe you are having twins! I am so proud of you honey, both of you! Ahhh I am so excited!" Taylor exclaims while pulling Steffy and Liam into a tight hug

"Thanks Mum, your love and support mean the world to us!"

"I have to admit Steffy I am jealous of your body... you are 17 weeks pregnant with twins and you look amazing... Like seriously I look more pregnant than that when I eat a breakfast burrito, well before, when I wasn't actually pregnant!"

"Haha, you say that now but just wait and see what your opinion is like once I am 9 months pregnant and can't move because I am the size of a house!"

"Hey enough of that talk! I happen to think you are going to be the most beautiful pregnant woman to have ever walk the earth, no matter how big that belly is! Remember what I said to you this morning... come on remind me!"

"You told me that 'a big belly means healthy, growing babies, which means we are one step closer to holding them in our arms! And that my dear, will be a dream come true!' See I was listening!" Steffy responded while poking out her tongue.

"Ohhhh, who knew my cousin, could be such a hopeless romantic. It's no wonder you fell pregnant so easily, I am sure he barely has to say a word and..."

"Caroline that's my daughter you are talking about... She may be an adult but there are some things a father prefers to deny happens in his daughters life... even if she is currently pregnant and getting married and oh so grown up! I am proud of you my darling girl. You have been through so much and you have managed to come out the other side an incredible woman! Now, we need to talk about this wedding..."

"Dad, I know it is soon and you and Caroline have a lot going on with your baby, but it is really important to me that you be there this time. My first wedding to Liam, it was just us, on top of a mountain in Aspen. The second time we got married, we followed family tradition and had it at the Forrester Estate, but you weren't there, you were in Paris and I walked myself down the aisle. But this time, I want you by my side, I want you to be the one to give me away, not mum not Thomas, YOU my father. It is really important to me, to Liam, to our babies and to the memory of you granddaughter that you do this for me. Please don't let me down dad.

"Oh honey, I couldn't dream of being anywhere else! Wild horses couldn't keep me away! But I was thinking about what you are going wear! We would be honoured to create your wedding dress or gown or outfit, I never know with you!"

"Really dad, you would do that for me?"

"I am not sure what this one has told you Steffy but we would be more than honoured!"

"Thanks Dad, thank you Caroline! You know I am not the biggest pink wearer in the world, that was more Phoebe's thing, but I would like it if you could somehow tie it into the dress, so I have just a touch of Aspen with me."

"Leave it with me, I may be your old man but I am the Ridge Forrester after all!" Ridge reminds Steffy then leaves to talk to Taylor.

"Hey Steffy, I have an idea for the inside of your dress and maybe even the inside of Liam's shirt or jacket. But I am unsure how you would feel about it."

"Well until you tell me your idea, I can't let you know how I feel!"

"I don't exactly know how much stuff you had organised for Aspen, before... before the accident let alone if you and Liam kept any of it, but I was thinking if you and Liam had kept and outfit or a pair of socks or something, we could maybe stitch whatever it is, over your hearts. That way she will be physically close to you on the day."

"Oh Caroline, its perfect! I don't really know what we have at home, I do know I put a little pair of socks into a box before I left... I will have to find it!" Steffy replies with a fresh batch of tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Steffy, what's wrong, are you in pain. Come and sit down, I will get you some water and Tylenol. Please sit and take it easy or your Forrester Creations Visit for the day will be over. Don't think I won't involve your mother!"

"Involve me in what?"

"Making sure this one starts taking it easy, beginning with coming over here and sitting down!"

"He is right you know Steffy, I can still remember how physically exhausting being pregnant was, let alone when I was pregnant with you and Phoebe! I was so tired... all the time!"

"Ahh and so it begins, constantly worried parents, over protective husband... I can't imagine the next 24 weeks any other way and nor do I want to!"

"Good, I am glad, because I intend to spoil you like there is no tomorrow! The three of you are the most important things in this world to me! I will do absolutely everything in my power to keep you all save from now until forever!"

"Remember that conversation we had at home, the one where I told you that this pregnant lady couldn't handle all your loved up talk without losing it emotionally... Well you have done it again!" Steffy tells Liam while wiping a tear from her eye. "You know I have a reputation of cold hearted bitch to uphold around here!"

"Oh really! I am sure, they like me, still fear the wrath of 'The Stephanie Forrester' soon to be Spencer!"

"You should fear me... I still have to go through labour. How attached are you to your hands, I can't guarantee they will survive the delivery!"

"Baby you could break every bone in my body and I would still be right by your side, where I belong!"

"Again with the smooth talking, Mr Spencer! I am an emotional wreck at the moment, my hormones are going haywire and you are killing my street cred!

"Okay my love I have a fantastic way for you to save face... Taylor I think it is time for my Queen to return to her palace!"

"No! Please can I have one more hour...? I want to go through some presidential stuff with you. I am sure mum can entertain herself for an hour. Please, the babies aren't quite ready to leave daddy yet and neither is mummy!"

"Okay! You have one hour! At 11am, you and your mother will be walking out of this building and heading back to Malibu! Daddy is putting his foot down!"

"Hmmm you should be strict with me more often... you have no idea the things it does to me!" Steffy quietly tells Liam while pulling his ear down towards her mouth "Cha cha cha!"

"You my love are going to drive me insane! Now if you wish to show me anything in the next 50 minutes I suggest we get to work, because you mumma are on strict time restrictions!"

Liam and Steffy get to work without too many distractions. At exactly 10.55am, Taylor knocks on Steffy's office door signalling that it is officially her home time. After a handful of kisses and one drawn out hug, Taylor manages to drag a not so impressed Steffy out of their office and down to the car.

Next time on Stairway to No-Mans Land:

\- Wedding plans are in full swing

\- Taylor and Steffy spend some quality time together

\- Taylor learns about Aspens visit

\- The wedding Dress is revealed (there will be a link in my profile)


	7. Chapter 7

AN: I can't help myself and I always have to share what I have written... I am trying to stay way head of what I have posted so that way when my vacation is over there won't seem to be long waiting periods. In this chapter I have attempted to post photos mid story, I don't know if they are going to work. If they don't I will re-find the images and add a link to my bio. Hope you all enjoy this chapter. Remember to review and follow so you don't miss a single post! JM

 **Previously on Stairway to No-Mans Land**

\- Taylor arrived back into Los Angeles

\- Liam and Steffy held a board meeting at Forrester Creations

\- The family were informed of the changes at Forrester

Upon arriving back at the cliff house Taylor makes Steffy take it easy.

"Okay sweetheart, you have had a big morning, I think you need to park your backside on that lounge and have a rest, there is a lot going on and you need to take it easy!"

"Mum, I am not a doll, I am not going to break after one outing! In fact I was thinking that I might take a nice, gentle, walk along the beach!"

"Hahaha, not on my watch, you can take as many beach strolls as you want... when Liam is here! Please indulge your mother and take a seat on that couch besides when you called me you said you had lots to tell me about and even something to show me so spill!"

"Right, so we are going to have one of those days!"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Mum you have this uncanny ability to not be able to turn off the psychiatrist and sometimes I would just love for my mum to be listening to me and not be the Doctor!"

"Oh sweetheart, you know whatever advice I ever give you always comes from a place of love, very rarely do I actually treat you like a patient, and you and your brother may think I do but trust me I don't! Hell if you had been my patient, with the advice the Doctor in me would have given you; we probably would not be sitting in this very house, about to plan your wedding and fearing the imminent arrival of my beautiful grandbabies. Fortunately, I can turn off the Doctor in me and I also know what can sometimes seem like an endless cycle of bad choices is not always occurring due to choices made by you and Liam, you have had to overcome so may obstacles and far too many of them have been Logans! So yes my darling daughter I can and do know how to turn the Doctor off!"

"Really mum, if I was your patient you would have advised me to leave the love of my life! Wow!"

"You know Steffy there is a saying, 'if you love someone, let them go, if it is supposed to be, they will come back to you' I have always believed this about you and Liam. Hope, Hope was like an unhealthy addiction, his 'safe expected' option, in his heart Liam always knew it was never going to end the way they always envisioned it, but for him to really know, he needed to work it out of his system. You, you my darling girl, were never the 'safe' option. You were and still are this wild, sexy, unpredictable woman who lived life in the fast lane who doesn't take shit from anyone who flipped Liam's world upside down! You filled his life with endless love and adventure, Liam has never had to become someone else with you, you take him as he comes, you accept all his indecisiveness in fact a part of me thinks you secretly love it about him! No matter what his past faults and flaws are, he makes my daughter the happiest woman on the planet, and as a mother that is all I can ask for in a future Son in Law!"

"Oh mum! I keep telling Liam he can't keep telling me all this love-up stuff because I am an emotional wreck, stupid hormones. You really have put aside your concerns about Liam purely for my happiness?"

"Yeah I have. It wasn't easy to do, when you called me and told me you and Liam were trying to work everything out, that you were going to give it another shot, every fibre of my being wanted to shake some sense into you... to remind you how broken you were every single time it didn't work out in the past but then you sent me those photos of the pair of you from a random day you had at the beach and you had that look of pure happiness, there was so much love in both your eyes that I couldn't interfere. I have always and will always only ever want what is best for you and it seems that would be Liam, just look at what you have achieved!"

"He does you know... make me happy! He is truly my other half, I can't imagine doing this, any of this, without him. This is our forever time, I know it, he knows it, and this pair of wiggly worms knows it and so does our beautiful daughter, my darling Aspen."

Much like when Steffy told Liam about Aspens visit, the conversation between the mother and daughter lulled, as if both were thinking about that precious baby girl.

"...She came to me you know... When I fell. Aspen came and held my hand and told me everything was going to be okay, that 'they' were going to be fine."

"Oh sweetheart!" Taylor sighs as she envelopes Steffy in a tight hug, wiping her tears and kissing her head.

"She is so beautiful mum! She has eyes just like Liam, they may be beautiful pools of blue like mine but the way she looks as you, that is all Liam."Steffy continues knowing the next part may either comfort her mother or upset her "she's with Phoebe, she said that Aunt Phoebe looks after her and that Grandma Kelly and someone who she kept calling GG spoil her rotten... She is a real mix of me and, and Phoebe with just a touch of Liam. It was so hard to hold my darling girl in my arms again only to have to say goodbye all over again. Mum, who do you think this GG person is? Do you think it's Grandma?"

"That must have been really bittersweet for you Steffy, to see her, to hold her in your arms. I know that pain you feel deep down in your chest, oh the things I would do to just be able to see Phoebe again, to hold her in my arms just like I am doing with you. I get it, how special that moment was for you. Is that what you wanted to tell me on the phone... the thing you could tell me?"

"Yeah, I, I was scared you would think I was crazy. I almost didn't tell Liam you know... I was worried that he would be jealous or angry with me, with me because I got to see her and hold her, but it wasn't like that, he wasn't. Telling him was so good for our relationship mum. It made us talk about her, talk about losing her, it brought it all to the surface and we got to tell each other how we both felt, tell each other about the guilt we both had. We talked about the things we both did to get by, what gave us comfort... It's funny, even with Aspen not being here, she still manages to bring her Daddy and I closer."

"Oh Steffy, I am so proud of you, for opening up about that dark time. I am so glad you both got this time to grieve together, what's that saying 'better late than never', in this case I think as individuals you needed it to be later... there was no way you and Liam could have had that conversation straight after you lost her. You both needed time to process, to heal and now look at you both!"

"Am I allowed off the couch yet? I need to show you something... I need to share something with you!"

"Well that depends, where are you taking me?"

"Just up stairs... not far I promise!" Steffy informs her mother while slowly standing up, still tender from her fall.

30 minutes later the two brunettes carefully descend the stairs. Taylor is in awe of Aspens room.

"I can't believe I forgot that I had organised to have your cot taken out of storage and sent over here! A part of me is really grateful that you had already left for Paris when it arrived."

"Me too, mum, me too. I would not have been able to handle seeing it arrive. It would have been a reminder of what had just been taken away from us. You know, you are only the third person to enter that room. Liam kept it lock the entire time I was away; he said that he unlocked it the day I moved home... Just in case I went wandering discovered it on my own, in case I wanted to go to what should have been her room."

"That Fiancé of yours just keeps impressing me this time around!"

"You and me both mum, you and me both!"

"Hey ma, I think I am going to go and take a nap, these two are wearing Mumma out!" Steffy calls to her mother as she walks towards the master bedroom.

"Okay baby, call out if you need anything? And don't spend the entire time texting Liam... you need to rest!

"What! How! Your ability to read my mind is scary sometimes... but I wasn't going to spend the entire time texting him anyway, I am just going to check in with him!"

S: Hey babe miss you. How's work without me?

L: Miss you 2. It's boring , just not the same here without you. What are you doing?

S: Sends photo of her laying on their bed with the caption

 _about to take a nap, wish you were here_ _xoxo_

L: Tease! Rest up baby Mumma... Your Dad and Caroline are coming over for dinner, something about a wedding dress design, I will pick something up on the way home. Any requests from the twins?

S: Just get some steaks, Mum is staying too... I love you don't work too hard. Come home soon I miss you, we miss you!

L: I miss you too, I will be home just after 5, don't tell the boss! Love you baby and babies xx

As promised, Liam arrived home just after 5 to discover Steffy still asleep in their bed.

"Has she been asleep this entire time?"

"Almost! She woke up and went to the bathroom about 90 minutes ago, but promptly went back to bed in a typical just woke up Steffy zombie state! The poor thing is so tired, not only is her body trying to repair itself but she is also creating life in there and that sucks the energy right out of you!"

"Hey Taylor, do you think you could go to the store and get some more stuff for dinner, I was going to go on my way home but I wanted to get back to her... I already got Pam to go out and get the meat, I just need the ingredients for salad, Ridge and Caroline are going to join us for dinner, Caroline said something about having a wedding dress design to run by Steffy."

"Not a worry Liam!"

"Thanks Taylor, I just want to go lay down with her for a while... let her wake up in my arms even when I know she is going to wake up with that cranky face!"

"Don't worry about it! What time are Ridge and Caroline coming over... I will get everything organised and make sure the pair of you are up when they arrive."

"Ummm, Ridge said they would try to be here by 7.30... You are amazing Taylor! I, I feel like I need to be with her all the time, I mean I almost just lost the three of them, if she is in my arms I know she is safe, that I can protect her from a lot of things... Do I sound crazy?"

"You sound exactly like a father to be! I would be more concerned if you did not feel this way! Now go and have a rest with your bride to be."

Liam quietly sneaks into their bedroom, silently changing out of his suit. Once changed, Liam gently climbs into their bed, trying not to disturb his princess. Steffy rouses slightly, and rolls over towards Liam, snuggling into his side.

The pair lay like this, limbs intertwined for the next hour until Steffy wakes completely.

"Hmm this is a nice surprise! I like waking up in your arms!"

"Well it's a good thing I am marrying you! You never have to worry about waking up without me... well maybe except for when this pair makes their entrance into the world, but even then the hospital staff will have to pry me out of your room!"

"Hmm what time is it?"

"650 baby, wow they are active tonight!" Liam states while his hands rest on Steffy's belly.

"They are always like that when you are close by. They can sense their Daddy, they know is voice, or maybe they react to the way Mummy's heart starts to race when I see you, hold you, kiss you!"

"Be kind to mummy little ones... She is still sore from trying to fly down the starts at Great Grandpa Erics."

"Ha ha ha you are soooo funny Daddy... so... I... I ah I took Mum upstairs today... to Aspens room..."

"Mmmm"

"I, I think she needed it too, I ended up leaving her in there for a little bit, I had just told her about Aspen visiting me and the connection to Phoebe... I forget sometimes that when we lost Aspen, she lost someone too, her granddaughter, and when that happened I think it may have brought all the emotions of losing Phoebe back to the surface. I Know I get comfort from knowing that they are all together. I think the GG character Aspen spoke of might be my Grandmother Stephanie, she would be way too cool to be called Great Grandma so GG is fitting if you ask me!"

"It comforts me too, knowing she isn't all alone, that she has my mum with her and that Phoebe and Stephanie with her too, it eases the pain just a little. That room is as much mine as it is yours. You can share it with the world if you really want to... whatever makes you happy my love!"

"Gosh I love you... you, you are my other half, without you I am like a ship lost at sea, searching for a lighthouse to bring them home. You are my lighthouse; you are my beacon of hope!"

A quiet knock reverberates around the room pulling Steffy and Liam out of their whispered conversation as Taylor slowly opens the door and pokes her head inside.

"Steffy, Liam, your dad just called, he is just coming down PCH now, they will be here in about 10 minutes."

"Thanks Mum, we will be out in a second."

"No rush, I have everything organised, the table is set, salad and dessert are made and I just took the steaks of the fridge. I just wanted you to know they would be here soon."

"Thanks for doing all of that Taylor."

Ridge and Caroline arrive and the girls promptly start discussing their pregnancies, Liam and Ridge take it as their cue to head outside and start grilling the steaks. Once the boys leave the conversation turns towards the wedding and more specifically Steffy's dress.

"So your dad and I have come up with this design for your wedding dress... I had actually designed this dress in black with you in mind, a long time ago and when I showed it to your dad here suggested a few minor changes that we could make to accommodate the twins and obviously incorporating Aspen into the design..."

"You designed a dress for me!"

"Yeah, way back when we first had Quinn and Wyatt start working for us, I had this idea for a dress that was so you that I couldn't help but put pencil to paper... I always thought it would be a pipe dream because of the added features... but a Spencer/Forrester wedding calls for grandeur and this dress is grand! So this design isn't fully incorporating Aspen yet... that will depend on the stones that Quinn can locate, we were thinking Pink Sapphires in like an ombre pattern..."

"Caroline, stop rambling and show me the dress..."

"Oh, Sorry, it's just, it's not everyday you design someone so specials wedding dress, let alone your husbands, daughters... I am nervous, what if you don't like it!"

"Just show me the sketches or I will start calling you Step Mother!"

"Okay, here, please be kind!"

"Oh Caroline, it's perfect, I love it! I think that adding pink stones into the bodice is the perfect way to incorporate Aspen. I may need more room in the cup though; if you had not noticed my boobs are growing at an alarming rate, trust me Liam is not complaining though! The way you have designed this allows for plenty of belly room, I am convinced every time I look down it is bigger! I love it, and I am not just saying that because you are married to my Dad and have my little sister or brother onboard!"

"Well that is a lovely sight, three of the most important women in my life getting along and discussing wedding dresses! From what I have heard, it all sounds positive; I told you that you had nothing to worry about my love... I am going to assume that you love it Steffy! Now let's put the dress design away because dinner is ready, my beautiful ladies."

"Your grandchildren thank you! You too Daddy, now let's eat before this pregnant woman passes out!"

"Why, What wrong, why are you light headed? Do you want me to call Dr Caspery, Steffy talk to me, what's wrong?"

"Liam, babe calm down, I am hungry that's all, these babies have quite the appetite tonight it would appear!"

"Well Doc it seems that we don't have to worry about if Liam is taking care of our daughter, based on that mild panic, it is going to be a long 24 weeks, full of panic and concern!"

"Well I think it is sweet..." Caroline injected "but don't you get any ideas about fretting like that about me, this baby mumma has enough of her own concerns without you my darling husband, being overly concerned."

"Well I am so glad you all find me so amusing, I am glad I could keep you so entertained."

"Baby, you know I am on edge just as much as you are, I know... I think about her all the time too, we were 18 weeks then and we have yet to reach that. But we will, we are going to smash this multiples pregnancy business and before we know it our two little ones will be in our arms and all the fear, panic and concern will be a thing of the past."

"I hate to break it to you, but that fear, panic and concern you are talking about... it never goes away, it's called being a parent!"

"Thanks for that reminder Mum!"

The rest of the dinner conversation continued around the newest arrivals in the ever-expanding Forrester/Spencer families. Once they are finished eating, Steffy excused herself to go and lay on the couch.

"I ah, I'm just going to go lay down for a few minutes, I think I may have overdone it with this whole eating business." Steffy states while slowly getting up.

Liam, seeing how gingerly she is moving, proceeds to help her over to the couch, finding a pillow for her head and helping her to lie down. "Sweetheart, can I get you anything, water? Ginger ale? Black tea? A bucket?" Liam asks while stroking Steffy's hair out of her face.

"A hair band, a bucket and a glass of water would be so good right now..." replied Steffy all while trying to get comfortable on the lounge.

Upon his return, Liam notices that she has finally settled onto her back, eyes closed and gently rubbing her queasy belly. Silently Liam pulls out his phone to document the moment, paying particular attention to how much bigger Steffy's belly is at that precise moment, at the end of the day with a belly full of food.

"Liam Spencer, that better not have been your phone taking a picture I just heard. I feel like absolute garbage so there is no way that photo is decent..."

"Baby you always look amazing, no matter what... but I couldn't resist, you just look so cute laying there, rubbing your belly... you'll love it I promise." Liam states as he passes over his phone.

"Wow, where did that come from...? I guess I am the ever expanding woman. This morning you could hardly tell I was pregnant now look at me! I guess a belly full of food will do that to you! I think I am ready to try that ginger ale now!"

"Oh Steffy, get used to that feeling after eating... When I was pregnant with you and your sister, I could barely eat a meal. I just used to just snack all the time until I was about 24 weeks. Snacking kept the hunger away and I wouldn't get the painful 'no room left' in there feeling that you currently have. When I was pregnant with Thomas I could eat normally but the twins... no deal. My advice, snack regularly, graze all day instead of three meals have something small every hour. It will also help with that vomiting sensation!"

"Taylor why weren't you around to share that with me at the beginning of my pregnancy! I think knowing that would have saved my by butt on so many occasions!"

"You know I may be Ridges ex-wife, but you can always come to me for advice Caroline, whether it's about pregnancy, the delivery, babies, dealing with my darling children or that big oaf..."

"Thanks Taylor, you know Steffy I am still not convinced that you are 17 weeks... I am sure I was bigger than that at 17 weeks and I only have one little one cooking away in here!"

"I know right! When I was pregnant with Aspen, I had a very noticeable bump by this stage, so it is weird. If I hadn't seen the scan with my eyes I too would be sceptical! Hell, I had no idea I was pregnant, that we were pregnant! So trust me when I say there are two in here! Doctor Caspery did mention that I appear to be carrying towards the back, but she did also say that as the weeks continue to tick by I am going to really pop. Judging by my belly tonight, after eating, that day will not be far away! I don't think we will be keeping this news hidden for much longer, even if I would prefer to wait to tell the world until after the wedding!"

"I am sure Uncle Bill will do all he can to keep you out of the media... he knows how precious his grandbabies are, how important it is going to be to keep your life simple, calm and relaxed!"

"Speaking of having calm and relaxed pregnant women, I need to get my wife home to bed, Doc do you need a ride?"

"Mum just take my car, that way you can come and see me, I am pretty sure Liam isn't going to be letting me drive anytime soon so you may as well use it while you are in town and that way you can be my own personal driver."

"Gee thanks Steffy! Now I know the real reason you wanted me back in LA! It had nothing to do with my motherly love and affections did it, it was all about my driving prowess wasn't it?"

"Damn it, Liam she worked it out! Now what am I going to do! I guess I might have to bribe her with Grandbaby snuggles once they arrive!"

"Deal, I will drive you to the end of the earth for endless baby snuggles!"

"Okay enough of the endless love and smothering... This baby mumma needs to go to bed, who knew cooking the next generation of Forrester/Spencers could be so exhausting! Mum take the car, Dad and Caroline, thanks for coming, that dress is so perfect it isn't even funny and I will see you both at the office tomorrow, the VP needs to be shown the ropes!"

"By darling girl, take it easy tomorrow at work... Liam call me when you want me to come and get her, if you leave it to Steffy she will return home with you, at the end of the day and not take it easy!"

"I am standing right here mum! I can still hear you know!"

"We know you can baby, we just aren't sure if you are really listening, you need to take it easy!" Liam reminds her as he cuddles her from behind.

"Goodnight everyone!"

"You, Stephanie Forrester, soon to be Spencer, need to go have a nice relaxing shower and get into bed! I will finish cleaning up out here and lock everything up."

"Oh my, a girl could get used to this kind of spoiling!"

"Well get used to it baby, because I plan on spoiling you for the rest of our lives!"

"Well I am one lucky lady!"

Next time on Stairway to No-Mans Land:

\- Work dramas cause havoc for Steffy and Liam

\- Steffy and Liam have a checkup with Doctor Caspery

\- Liam has a conversation with Ridge and Thomas regarding Steffy

\- Steffy and Liam have to make a decision


	8. Chapter 8

Previously on Stairway to No-Mans Land

\- Mother/daughter heart to heart

\- Rest time teasing

\- A wedding dress design was revealed to the bride to be

\- Dinner dates with the parentals

****Thanks for all your reviews. In case you are wondering, I have made it that Ridge and Caroline are together and the baby is his (they do not really play a major role in the story so I was not going to mess with them!). Oh and no the Ivy/Wyatt storyline will not play a major part in this FF. Hope you enjoy the next chapter... some are easier for me to write than others!

Over the next two weeks, life had settled down for Steffy and Liam considerably. By some stroke of luck the shift in power at Forrester had managed to stay out of the media and along with it the news of Liam and Steffy's impending arrivals. Steffy had stuck to her word and was now working reduced hours at Forrester, only coming in during the mornings and she was always gone by lunchtime. Today Steffy and Liam have an appointment with Dr Caspery to check on both Steffy and the twins.

"Ah Steffy, Liam it is so good to see you again. I much prefer it when you walk into my office Steffy!"

"Don't worry Doctor, I prefer walking in here to!"

"So Steffy, how have you been feeling since your last visit? Has that nausea settled down?"

"I feel really good, I am tired all the time and super sensitive to certain smells and the skin on my belly feels tight but I mean I don't feel any different to my last visit."

"Well that's good. Your best bet for your belly is make sure you are constantly moisturising it, there is still a lot of growing that needs to take place so it is only going to get tighter. Now what about physically, after you fall, has all the stiffness gone away and the bruising faded?"

"I feel really good actually, every now and then I feel stiff, but that is usually after sitting in the one position for a long time."

"That is to be expected, Steffy you were so lucky that you didn't do any serious damage when you had that fall. Now Liam, I know how stubborn this one can be, has she been following my instructions, getting lots of rest, eating well, relaxing, reducing stress and cutting back at work?"

"You know Doctor, for the first time in our relationship she has been following every instruction given to her to the T! We are in the process of changing the leadership at Forrester temporarily, until Steffy returns to work, so far we have stuck to the half day rule, I have even been about to convince her to take days off completely."

"Steffy that is really great, your body will thank you for it in the long run and so will your babies and husband! Today I would like to run a couple of tests, they are nothing to be concerned about in fact they are standard in any pregnancy let alone a multiples birth."

"You do whatever you need to do Doctor, I will just lay here and be your test subject!"

"You make it sound so dramatic Steffy, I am only going to check your sugar levels and your blood pressure, do some measurements to check the babies growth and finally we will do another ultrasound. But I will ask you now, before I start so you two can think about it, if the babies are playing fairly and sitting correctly would you like to know their genders?"

Liam and Steffy look at each other, the thought of finding out about the babies genders at this appointment having never crossed their minds.

"Liam what do you want to do? I know we found out with Aspen... I kind of want to be surprised this time around, everything about this pregnancy has been a surprise, so why spoil that fun?"

"If you want to wait, my darling, we will wait. I really don't mind either way, as long as we end up with two happy, healthy babies at the end of this journey!"

"Okay Steffy, can you just hold out your finger for me, I am going to do a blood glucose test, just to make sure that your sugar levels aren't too high and then I will get you to take off your jacket so I can access you arm and take your blood pressure."

"Hmm" Doctor Caspery lets out just as she finished taking Steffy's blood pressure.

"Hmm, what do you mean Hmm? Is that a good Hmm or a bad Hmm?" Steffy queries with a slight panic in her voice.

"Look Steffy, your blood pressure is currently 130/92... Which isn't technically in the high range yet, but considering that you are having twins, the rate that it has increased since your last appointment is concerning. I am going to suggest that you come in again next week so I can check it again. Apart from that, it may be time for you to stop work completely, I know you have said that you're on reduced hours with a reduced workload but I can guarantee that there is still a lot of stress involved in those limited hours. I also recommend reducing the amount of salt in your diet. If next week when you come in it is at this level or higher I will order a urine test to rule out a couple of things, but we will cross that bridge if/when we come to it. Now who wants to see their babies?"

"So no stress at all Doctor? Calm and relaxed are your instructions?" Liam queries, making sure he understands what is needed to keep all three of his loves safe.

"Yes Liam and there are lots of ways you can help Steffy relax that aren't work related. Walks on the beach, foot rubs, long baths, massages, even sex, just make sure it isn't too vigorous."

"Oh thank goodness, I was going to ask about that, much to Liam's disgust, I have had some serious needs this time around Doctor, I was worried for a moment that my needs weren't going to be met due to doctors orders."

"Any more questions before I get you to hop up on this bed? If not Steffy I will get you to pull your shirt right up, some ladies find it easiest to tuck it into their bra, and if you could pull the top of your pants down to the top of your pubic bone, right below your bump."

Steffy quickly arranges her clothes so that her bump is fully exposed.

"Now just a reminder Steffy, this gel is cold, before I start commenting on the scan I just want o check that we are NOT finding out what you're having."

"We would like a surprise please Doctor."

"Okay let's see what is going on inside your belly shall we!"

The rhythmical beating of three hearts suddenly fills the room and both parents faces instantly light up.

"I could hear that sound for the rest of my life and never get sick of it, that sound, the sound of life in my wife and our babies gives me life, it gives me strength!"

"He has been really good at the loved up speeches of late!"

"Well from what this pair are showing me, everything is looking really good. There appears to be a nice amount of fluid around both babies, their size is on par with how many weeks you are. The little ones must have known that Mummy didn't want to find out because the way that they are currently sitting would have prevented you finding out today! Alright Steffy, use this to wipe off the gel, I will print out these pictures and have a disc made up for you. I really do need you to seriously consider everything I have told you today, about stress and your body. How many weeks do you have before the change in presidents?"

"It is happening at the end of next week."

Okay so these are the Doctors orders for you between now and the end of next week you are only allowed to be in the office on Thursday this week and next week you can be there on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. That way you will have a day off in between each visit and you will have tomorrow off. Now because I know you so very well, once you are on leave you are not allowed to be at Forrester Creations for longer than an hour my only exception to this rule will be when you are doing your press release! Do you understand?"

"We understand Doctor, is my blood pressure that bad?"

"Steffy it is borderline, you know our aim is for you to stay pregnant for as long as possible, ideally as close to 40 weeks as we can get but realistically, anything over 30 weeks is going to be really great. I want you prepared. I want you to know that there is a high chance these babies are going to be premature, there is also a high chance you are going to be placed on bed rest and depending on your blood pressure that may need to be hospital based bed rest. I am not trying to scare either of you, in fact just the opposite, I want you well informed of what could happen, prepared for the worst case scenario."

"Doctor Caspery, since we are talking worst case... what would be the earliest that Steffy could go into labour and for the twins to be, premature but okay?"

"Well Liam, every case is different but generally if it looked like that was going to happen and we hadn't given an medic intervention to assist the twins to develop, I would be highly concerned with anything under 28 weeks, but in saying that, if Steffy's blood pressure continues to climb we would give the twins steroids to help them develop at a faster rate. Babies have been known to survive from 24 weeks. Every pregnancy is different just like every baby is different, so please do not stress about that for now. Enjoy this time, enjoy your wedding in 2 weeks and most importantly enjoy each other in every sense of the word!"

"So my love it means I need rest, relaxation, love, attention and orgasms! All on doctors orders!"

"Alright my beautiful baby mumma, let's get you home and relaxing. Thank you Doctor Caspery, we will see you next week when we come for that check up."

Liam and Steffy head home from the doctor's office a little concerned about the wellbeing of their twins and a little excited to get home to release built up stress.

"Baby, I think you should stop coming into work, it is time to just let me take over, remove all the work related stress from your life..."

"You get told that you can have sex again with your pregnant fiancé, in fact it is recommended that you do, and all you want to talk about is work! Who are you and where is my Liam because you should know by now I am as horny as hell and if you're not willing to help with this issue I will go and problem solve on my own in the bedroom."

"Hey, whoa there, I never said I didn't want to help you out... if the lady needs stress relief then who am I to object."

"Good answer!" Steffy responds as she heads towards their bedroom while stripping off her clothes.

The next morning while at Forrester Liam asks for Thomas and Ridge to join him in his office.

"Hey Ridge, Thomas, sorry for the short notice."

"Don't worry about it Liam, is everything okay with my sister and the twins?"

"The twins are doing well but Dr Caspery is becoming concerned with Steffy's blood pressure, which is why I have asked that we meet. Doctor Caspery is really concerned about the amount of stress in Steffy's life, which we have tried to reduce but a we all know a large stressor for Steffy at the moment is still Ivy. I know as president I should be the one interacting with all of the staff, but for the sake of Steffy's health and the health of our babies I am going to ask that either one of you take on all interactions with Ivy and the jewellery line."

"Consider it done, son! I have been thinking about this for a little while too. Steffy would never admit that Ivy being around you was causing her stress but we all know if would be bothering her on some level."

"Dad, I know we are looking at expanding the range of stones that we are using, maybe we could send her on a long buying trip so she can source some new suppliers. Her not physically being here at Forrester for a while should help a little bit right."

"Yeah Thomas that should help, Dr Caspery has told her she is only allowed to come in every second day and once on leave she isn't to be here for longer than an hour a week because we all know that Steffy can't help herself!"

"Have you thought about taking over effective immediately? Surely Steffy knows we are not about to let you be thrown in the deep end, this company means too much to all of us!"

"Trust me I have tried that... you know what Steffy can be like once her mind is made up! I think she just wants to see it through, this place; this company it is something she is in control of, she knows what is happening within these walls and can decide the outcome. Once she goes on leave, she has no control of what is going to happen and that scares the hell out of her. So if we can make the next week as calm and stress free as humanly possible, we will be indebted to you all!"

"She is more like Grandma than we realise isn't she dad, she's not just her namesake!"

"That she is son, that she is. My determined, independent daughter!"

"So it is settled, Ivy and the jewellery line will be handled by you Ridge and if you are not around, things are to go to you Thomas. I am to have nothing to do with that woman and she is to not be anywhere near Steffy."

"Sounds like a plan. Now Liam, I am wondering how long you plan to have off just after the wedding, I know we had a brief discussion regarding it, but I couldn't remember if you had a set time."

"Doctor Caspery has advised us to not fly anywhere or to travel to far away so we are going to have a staycation, at home in Malibu. We plan on making the house off limits to everyone and just being at home together. So to answer your question I will be out for the week after the wedding so from the 5th-12th, with me back in the office on Monday the 15th."

"Okay, just checking what dates we will have to deal with being a man down. I am sure we will survive the week without you both!"

That evening when driving home Liam, tries to call Steffy, after several missed called he decides she must be asleep or have her phone on silent. When he arrives home, he searches the ground floor of the house, panic starting to take over when Steffy is nowhere to be seen and her phone is on the coffee table. In a last ditch attempt to maintain his sanity, Liam decided to call Taylor.

"Pick up, pick up, pick up, come on Taylor pick up!"

"Hello Liam, what can I do for you?"

"Is Steffy with you?"

"No, why would she be, I left her at you place around an hour ago, she said she needed some time alone."

"Well she isn't here and her phone is on the coffee table..."

"Liam calm down, I am sure she is alright."

"What happened, why did she need time alone? Did something happen that upset her?"

"She had an emotional day, we did a lot of talking today, she spoke a lot about Aspen, about losing her and she opened up about how she still blames herself, even when she knows that you and Aspen don't. I think she just needed to be with her thoughts so she could feel close to her daughter... Some days are harder than others for her. This may sound silly but have you checked the entire house? Let me know if you don't find her."

"Thanks, Taylor, I think I might know where she is..."

Liam promptly hangs up the phone and slowly makes his way upstairs to their daughter's room. When he walks inside, he finds his sleeping beauty curled up in the rocker, holding Aspens bear and blanket in her lap and a tiny pair of pink and white socks tightly gripped between her fingers while she softly snored. It was evident by the tearstains down Steffy's cheeks that it had been an emotional day.

"Oh sweetheart!" Liam quietly states as he walked closer to the chair, deciding to wake her up with several kisses, not knowing that she had heard him enter the room.

"Oh Edwardo, you need to be more careful, Liam will be home soon!" Steffy responds while kissing Liam back.

"Edwardo hey, I knew I was playing that gardener too much..."

"Oh no our secrets out, however will you punish me?"

"I think I might just have to kiss you stupid, considering I have already knocked you up to lay my claim!"

"Hmm I like the sound of this kissing me stupid business!"

"Well that makes two of us! You had me worried for a little while tonight my love. I tried to call you on my way home, surprise, surprise, there was no answer, so I figured that you were just asleep. Imagine my shock horror when you were not in bed or on the couch! I even called you mum to see if you were with her. I think she knew you were up here; she just didn't want to specifically say so. She did however mention that you have had an emotional day and I can see she was telling the truth. What is going on in that pretty, little head of yours? What is with the socks?"

"I am sorry you were worried! Mum and I go to talking about Aspen today, it just opened up some heavy stuff I wasn't prepared for the raw emotions that came with it today. I just needed to be alone with her, with our daughter up here so I sent Mum home and came to sit here. As for the socks... these were the very first thing I purchased for Aspen when we found out we were having a little girl, Caroline had this idea of, of using something small like this, and stitching it inside my dress, over my heart for our wedding day. She wants to put one inside either your suit or shirt too, I absolutely love the idea but the hard thing is going to be giving up these socks... how silly is that I can't even part with a pair of socks that our daughter didn't even get the chance to wear!" Steffy lets out with a fresh batch of tears falling from her eyes.

"Oh my beautiful, sweet, loving Steffy. I am guessing that you have yet to open the draws over there, because I too have kept every single thing that either I purchased for our princess or that was given to us. I know how hard it is to part with the little things like her socks, which is why this draw is full of them! We should hope that we have a little girl cooking away because we have everything we need for a little girl, and I think Aspen would want her little sister to use her things, that way she too can be close to her sister. Luckily for us dad and I both purchased a lot of white stuff which means baby brother can be close to his sister too if we happen to have one of each. I know that very pair of socks is special to you, but by giving them to Caroline, we are making our little girl a part of our special day in a permanent way."

"How do you always know the right things to say? How is it possible that you can read me so well?"

"I may know you really well, my love, but I know for a fact I don't even know half of the mysterious musing of your mind, but luckily for me, I have from now until eternity to learn every little thing! You are it for me!"

"Gosh I love you, I think I fall even deeper for you every single day!"

"I love you too! Now what do you say we put these things away, head down stairs for some dinner and snuggle on the couch watching Bob Hope movies until you fall asleep in my arms and I carry you to bed."

"That sounds perfect!"

Next time on Stairway to No-Mans Land:

\- We have a wedding finally! In my initial plan for this story wedding was like chapter 4 or 5! HA!

\- Ivy makes her presents known

\- Ultimatums are given and lines are drawn


	9. Chapter 9

Steffy's final days at Forrester went by smoothly, Ivy was out of the office and magically there were no dramas that she needed to solve prior to taking her leave, even if she was slightly suspicious about this. Liam, Ridge and Thomas, along with all the other staff at Forrester had made her last day blissful, showering her with presents for both the twins and their upcoming nuptials.

Reflecting back on her last day at work, while sitting in her daughter's room on the morning of her wedding was a bittersweet moment for Steffy. Liam and Steffy had decided that so many important events in their lives occurred at this very location on the cliffs of Malibu, that it made perfect sense for the wedding to happen here too. Knowing that this was the day that they were committing themselves to the other 100% filled Steffy with love and an enormous amount of pride. She would be able to, once again, officially call Liam her husband.

Steffy's thoughts are interrupted by Taylor knocking on the door frame.

"Good morning sweetheart, I knocked on the front door but there was no answer so I let myself in. I figured you might be lost in your thoughts up here."

"Hmm sorry Mum what were you saying..."

"It doesn't matter, though Liam did tell me to tell you to look in the pocket of the rocker..." Taylor states as she once again leaves her daughter to her own thoughts.

Slowly, Steffy reaches down into the side pocket of the rocking chair to find a small gift from Liam and a note.

 _To my beautiful bride to be,_

 _How did I know that today of all morning you would spend time up in room, with our daughter. I know you, I know you so well and I love every little detail about you; from your grumpy morning face to the pure love and joy in your eyes every time the twins kick and move. I cannot image anyone else who I would want to spend the rest of my life with. We both know that there have been plenty of others who have tried to claim our hearts but somehow we end up back together, defeating the odds! You my darling are my beginning, you are my end, you are my forever! And today we will commit ourselves to each other and to our family. When writing my vows to you I did a lot of reading, I wanted to find the perfect words to share how I felt about you. I came across this quote and while not perfect for our vows it is perfect for our relationship. 'We come to love not by finding a perfect person, but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly.' You my love are imperfectly perfect, which is why you are perfect for me!_

 _In this box you will find a special something, it was my mums and one day it will be our daughters, but for now I cannot imagine anyone else having this, wearing this. I know there is the tradition of having something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue. Well I thought that maybe these could fill in for your old, since they were my mums, borrowed, because in my heart they are Aspens and one day they will be her sisters, and as for the something blue, well they are Sapphires which also happen to be your birthstone._

 _My beautiful Steffy, I cannot wait to see you today... only a few hours to go and you will once again my wife. Know that as you read this I am thinking of you and our little family._

 _All my love and endless devotion,_

 _Liam._

As Steffy finishes reading the letter she opens up the box to find a simple pair or sapphire and diamond earrings, perfect for their special day. With a final tear, Steffy places a kiss on Aspens bear and makes her way down stairs to start getting ready for the wedding.

"So darling girl, was that a nice surprise from Liam?"

"Oh you have no idea mum!"

"I have a feeling that today is going to be full of them!"

"As long as the day is full of nice ones I don't mind one little bit!"

At that moment the doorbell rings, Steffy, who is still standing, makes her way to see who is there, knowing that if it were Ridge and Caroline with the dress they would have come straight in.

As she opens the door her view is blocked by an enormous bunch of red roses.

"Ah I have a delivery for a Steffy Forrester almost Spencer..."

"That would be me. Thank you."

Once the delivery man leaves Steffy reads the card...

 _'Because I love you! Xoxo L'_

"I told you there would be more surprises! Now hand me the flowers and go and eat some breakfast!"

"Hey Mum, just in case I forget to say it later, thank you for everything!"

"You my darling girl are more than welcome! Now eat because the hairdressers and makeup artist will be here soon not to mention your Dad and Caroline with the Forrester Creations Original, one of a kind, Aspen Dress! So get some food into you and go have a shower, we have a wedding to attend!"

The rest of the morning was smooth sailing at the cliff house for Steffy and her family. There moment of truth came when it was time to zip Steffy into her one of a kind dress, fearing that she had grown since the final fitting on Wednesday.

"Steffy don't worry, we purposely made extra belly and boob room, why else do you think I have been getting you measured every single day! I wanted to be able to roughly predict the size of your belly and boobs. I know how important today is to you; I want it to be as stress free as humanly possible! I may be technically your stepmother, but you mean more to me than that, I would like to think that we are friends. Besides your father, Uncle Bill and Liam are the most important guys in the world to me; I know how happy you make my cousin, so for me, it is important that you are happy so he is happy."

While fanning her eyes to prevent another round of tears Steffy quietly thanks Caroline.

"Thank you, you are important to me too, and not just because that is my little sister or brother you are carrying in there!"

As Caroline pulls the zip to the top and arranges the last few gems on the dress, she tells Steffy.

"See I told you that you had absolutely nothing to worry about. Your Mum and Dad are going to flip when they see you in this dress... let alone Liam! I will have to make sure there is a photographer who is focused on his face so they can capture the moment he sees you and you can keep it forever!"

"Thank you for everything, especially this dress! It is perfect and the stones are just the right amount of pink!"

"Shall we go wow your parents?"

Steffy and Caroline make their way out of the bedroom and into the lounge room to be greeted by Taylor and Ridge. Taylor Is wearing another Ridge and Caroline original, a nude lace dress knee length dress with a pale pink underlay while Ridges black suit is paired with a pink shirt and black tie.

"Well what do you think...!"

"Oh sweetheart you look amazing, Liam isn't going to know what hit him!"

"Ridge and Caroline that dress is by far your best work ever. I am so glad our daughter is going to have you by her side today!"

"Steffy I know this is your special day, but I am so glad I am a part of this family in so many ways! Not many can say they have this kind of relationship with their husbands ex wife and their daughter!"

"Okay, do me a favour, no more emotional stuff or I am going to ruin my make up! Caroline do you think you could do something for me? Could you head over to the guest house and give Liam something?"

"Of course."

Steffy hands Caroline a small package, not much bigger than the one Liam had stashed up in Aspens room, with a letter on top.

"Do you think you could maybe make sure his tie is straight and his boutonniere is pinned correctly? I know he has is Dad and probably Katie over there with him but I also know that he is missing his Mum, especially today! She is the reason we chose today, she is the reason we have peonies as our wedding flowers you know, they were her favourite!"

Caroline takes the little package and heads out the side door towards the guesthouse. Upon arrival is seams that not everything is as calm and collected as it is in the main house, Caroline enters to hear raised voices from within the guesthouse.

"Liam what is going on in here and what the hell is IVY doing here on your wedding day?"

"I was just asking her the exact same thing! Well Ivy, come on, tell us, why are you here?"

"Caroline this is none of your business so stay out of it!"

"That is where you are wrong Ivy, not only is Liam my cousin but Steffy is my stepdaughter, and I will do whatever I need to, to keep her and the twins safe."

"Those bloody babies, Liam are you even sure they are yours or that she is even pregnant at all, like seriously, it seems very convenient that Steffy just happened to be pregnant right when I just told you I was still in love with you. How do you know that she isn't just trying to trap you again like she did last time when she killed your precious baby! This is your chance Liam, run away with! We can leave this place and never look back! We can start a new life somewhere else. Please I love you too much to let that bitch ruin your life."

Liam stood there in shock, unable to fully process what Ivy was saying, not believing that she would again bring Aspen up into conversation in such a hateful way let alone accuse Steffy of manipulating him.

"Ivy that is enough! I think it is time for you to leave! Get out before I make a scene and have security throw you out!"

"Ivy wait..."

Ivy turns around with a smug look on her face, thinking she has just won Liam back...

"I need to clear a few things up... You need to know that you are so lucky that I refuse to hit women! First of all, you must be out of your god damn mind if you think I am ever going to run away with you! Secondly, if you ever accuse my Steffy of such horrible things again I may not be so kind to you. As for bringing up Aspen, you are to never mention my daughter again! You have no right what so ever to even utter her name let alone pretend you understand what we went through when we lost her! My wife and I are truly blessed to be given the opportunity to once again become parents. She is the most beautiful pregnant woman I have ever seen! Trust me Steffy has many faults and they are part of why I lover he so much, but her loyalty has never wavered! She has never cheated on me, hell I do not even think her eyes wander! So yes, I am sure that the beautiful babies that she is currently carrying are mine. Now you can leave! Oh and Ivy, if you don't leave the premises immediately not only will you be removed by security and the police will deal with you for trespassing, you will also find that you are no longer welcome at Forrester Creations. So it is in your best interests that you get the hell off my property and stay the hell away from my family!"

Ivy slinks away like a chastised puppy, going to lick their wounds.

"Liam what the hell! If Steffy finds out that poison Ivy was trying to make a play for you on your wedding day she will lose her shit!"

"I know and that is why I am not going to tell her and neither are you! I will tell her tomorrow, once we are married. She doesn't need the stress, especially not today!"

"Well I know for a fact Ivy is one lucky bitch! If I weren't pregnant right now I would have slapped her half way back across the Pacific!"

"Oh Caroline, my ever loving cousin and almost stepmother in law... how on earth are we going to explain our wildly complicated family to our children."

"Liam, I have two Mums, trust me I know complicated! At the end of the day it doesn't matter who is what relation, as long as this little one and your twins know that they are loved and are a part of a big crazy family who love them, that is all that matters. Who cares about labels!"

"When you put it that way, I know you are right! So what brings you over to my humble guest house?"

"Steffy! She wanted me to come and check on you, straighten you tie, fix your boutonniere. You know check in and make sure you are handling the morning. She told me about the peonies... that is such a beautiful touch Liam. I may not have ever met your Mum, but I do know she would be proud of the man you are today!"

"Thanks cus! I needed to hear that today, especially today!"

"Steffy asked me to give you something... I guess you two are more alike than one would like to admit..."

"Yeah we are! Thanks for looking out for us today. Do you think you can tell her I love her and I can't wait to become her husband!" Liam asked while taking the small package from Caroline and sitting on the couch.

"You too are lucky I love you both, one could get sick of playing messenger otherwise! Oh by the way she looks stunning, you are going to lose it when you see her!" Caroline told Liam as she walked out the door and back towards the main house!

"My Steffy always looks stunning!"

Liam made himself comfortable on the couch and proceeded to open Steffy's letter.

 _To my darling Liam,_

 _If you are reading this it must be our wedding day and I am so excited to start this next chapter of our lives together. Knowing you, the morning of our wedding has probably already been filled with amazing surprises; my guess is probably jewellery and red roses because you know they are my favourite! For most of my adult life I have been chasing one thing, love, to love and be loved in return by someone who completes me! Well baby, it's you. You are my other half, you complete me and I know that when I am with you I am a better person. You make everything right in the world! Heck you and our children are my world. I want you to know that I will follow you to the ends of the earth if that is what you want. We have had an epic love story so far and like a fine wine it is only going to get better as it gets older! One day we will be sitting here, watching the sun set over the ocean telling our grandbabies the tales finding true love and how our love may have been tested but in the end love prevailed. I am so excited to become Mrs Stephanie Forrester Spencer again, not because of the name or the title or any of the prestige that comes with it, purely because of you._

 _Liam my darling, we have created this day around people who we have lost who mean the world to us; Aspen, your mum and lastly Phoebe. For a while now I have been trying to work out how I too can add my beautiful sister into our day, and as I sat down to write you this letter something fell out of my jewellery case. Now I know of late we have had some bizarre things happen to us and around us that neither of us can explain so I am chalking it up to that. My darling Liam, in the package attached to this letter you will find one of my beautiful sisters wooden bead necklaces. Now as much as I would love to wear it to honour Phoebe, it will not match my dress, and this fashion queen couldn't have that. Which is why I was hoping that you would be able to have it on you in some way... maybe in a pocket, around your wrist or in your jacket. I know my sister is with me, I carry her in my heart but because this is our special day I don't want her to miss out. So will you do this for me, my darling husband to be, let's make this day so special for everyone to see._

 _You are my heart and soul, my reason to get up in the morning and the reason I go to sleep at night with a heart full of love and belly full of babies. I will love you from now until forever. You Liam Spencer are my forever and nothing will ever change that! It must be almost time for our day to start, keep an eye out for me; I will be the one in white!_

 _Forever yours,_

 _Steffy xoxo_

 _P.S. I just got the biggest kick in the ribs when I signed that so I think the twins are trying to say they love you too Daddy xoxo_

Caroline returned to the main house noticing the time.

"Okay so Liam asked me to do a couple of things, the first was to tell you he loves you, and you too little ones and that he can't wait to officially become your husband and the second thing..." Caroline says while wrapping Steffy up in a tight embrace.

"Now if we want this wedding to start on time we best go touch up your lipstick and do the final touches to that hair!"

"Doc I can't believe how radiant she looks. I don't think I have ever seen her looking so happy in all my life!"

"It is like everything has finally fallen into place for our little girl. She is finally being given the life she has always deserved. Our baby has been through more trauma than any child should have to go through and yet she has managed to turn into a very confident, strong willed, complicated, determined woman. Liam makes her happy, he completes her, so knowing that, makes me happy. A mother couldn't ask for more!"

As Steffy, Ridge, Taylor and Caroline do their last minutes touch ups. Liam joins the guests out in the front yard overlooking the ocean. He notices his brother by his side and can see Thomas waiting for Steffy down the back of the aisle. Never being one for too much tradition Steffy and Liam decided that for their wedding party the most important people to them were their brothers so Wyatt was Liam's best man and Thomas would be filling the role of Man of Honour. Liam stops by his father making sure Ivy has not tried to make a return appearance, informing him of her little stunt. As Liam finishes talking to his father he notices both Taylor and Caroline making their way down the aisle, signalling to the guests and the minister that the wedding was about to start.

The opening bars of their song, Next to you, come out over the speakers as Thomas makes his way down the aisle. As Thomas reaches Liam he whispers to him "take care of my baby sis, she is the only one I have left." They briefly hug and the guests rise to their feet. Suddenly Liam can see Ridge starting to come out from around the corner and then he spots her, all the air is sucked out of his lungs, he cannot breathe she looks so stunning. This moment will forever be in his mind. Liam is so transfixed with the beauty of his bride that he does not notice the tear slip from his eye until he feels it rolling down his cheek.

"Oh Bro, you have got it bad! She looks amazing!"

"I am one lucky guy!"

Steffy reaches Liam and Ridge hugs him while telling him to look after his little girl.

"We are gathered here today, in this special location, to witness the union of Stephanie Forrester and Liam Spencer. The couple have asked you, to be their honoured guests, here to help them celebrate the coming together of two families. In the years they have been together, their love and understanding of each other has grown and matured and they have decided to, again, commit to each other, for a final time as husband and wife. Steffy and Liam, you started your day as individuals but you will leave here as husband and wife, blending your lives, expanding your families, and embarking upon the grandest adventure of human interaction. The story of your life together is yours to write, and some of the best chapters are just around the corner. Liam and Steffy have asked Steffy's mother Taylor to say a reading."

"When you love someone, you do not love them all the time, in exactly the same way, from moment to moment. Such is an impossibility, and even a lie to pretend to. And yet this is exactly what most of us demand. We have so little faith in the ebb and flow of life, of love, of relationships. We leap at the flow of the tide and resist in terror its ebb. We are afraid it will never return. We insist on permanency, on duration, on continuity; when the only continuity possible, in life as in love, is in growth, in fluidity - in freedom, in the sense that the dancers are free, barely touching as they pass, but partners in the same pattern."

"Thank you Taylor. Now ladies and gentlemen, the couple have decided to write their own vows as a commitment to each other. Liam has asked if he can go first."

"My darling Steffy, when we had our very first wedding in Aspen all those years ago the minister said to us 'may your love be as strong as these very mountains, may it last the test of time.' Well baby like those very mountains our love has been tested, we have been shaken to the very core, people have tried to come between us, to change us, to change our fate and yet like those very mountains our love still stands strong.

Today, in front of our families and friends, I choose you! I choose you to be my wife, my lover, my wild woman, the mother of our children. You are the end to my beginning, you are my other half and without you, my world does not make sense.

Earlier today, you sent me a letter and you mentioned the day being full of wonderful surprises, well my darling, I know you had picked out some fancy wedding bands but I too am full of surprises. As many of you know this isn't our first time travelling this road, in fact around two years ago our worlds were turned upside down by a tragic accident. We lost our darling daughter, Aspen, that day. She was supposed to enter the world in July. As fate would have it the birthstone for July are rubies and would serve as double meaning, you see rubies are said to represent love and in this case they do. These rings are made up of an endless circle of rubies, a physical representation of the endless love we have for our darling Aspen, her siblings and for each other. Steffy you are maddeningly complicated, you are the sexiest and smartest, most unpredictable woman I know. I adore you my love, you are fearless and you take on the world with such poise and grace! You are everything I want and everything in need. I take you as my wife to share this journey with, a partner on our path, in joy and in sorrow for the rest of our lives."

There is barely a dry eye in the audience as Liam lovingly gazes at Steffy and wipes the tears from her eyes and cheeks whispering to her "don't cry my love!"

"Oh Liam! They are perfect! As you are all aware, I wanted, we wanted Aspen to be a big part of today and you my love, have just made sure that she is a part of it forever! I love you so much!"

"Liam, when we got engaged this time around I knew it was going to be different. We had both grown as people, as individuals. But even with this growth, this maturity to our love, I am still learning. After all these years, I am still learning how to love and how to be loved in return. So Liam, I thank you for being my teacher, my confidant, my friend, our children's father, but most importantly I thank you for being my ever so patient lover. Liam you have made me laugh, you have been the reason for my tears, both the good and the bad and you have wiped them away. You have held me tight more times, than I can count. You have been there for my successes and you have seen me fail. You have kept me strong and I have given you strength. You are my best friend, my other half and without you, my world does not make sense. So here and now in front of everyone who is important to us, I commit myself to you, to be your lover, the mother to your children, your wife. Someone once said to me that no relationship is sunshine all the time, but once you have learned how to play in the rain, you have discovered the secret to getting through the storm. Well Liam we have had our share of rainy days, we have learned not only how to play in the rain but we now know how to dance through the storms. And just like a ship in a storm you are now and forever will be my lighthouse.

Love is more than three words mumbled before bed. Love is sustained by action, a pattern of devotion in the things we do for each other every day. Liam this I my promise to you, while we may face stormy seas in our future, you will always guide me home, for where ever you and our children are I too will be at home. Liam, I take you as my husband to share this journey with, a partner on our path, in joy and in sorrow for the rest of our lives."

"It is at this time in the Ceremony that Liam and Steffy have chosen to symbolised their love for each other and the loved ones who are missing from today by saying a verse and releasing butterflies." Thomas hands the box with the butterflies to Liam as Steffy takes the microphone.

"For now you are in heaven, and heaven is in our hearts, so you are always with us, we shall never be truly apart. Our love for you runs deeper than one could ever know, Always and forever you are ours and we are yours. To our Darling baby girl, we love you oh so much. My beautiful sister Phoebe, not a day goes by where I don't miss you, I lost a part of me when you left us. To Kelly, thank you for raising such an amazing son, I truly wish I could have known the woman who raised the man I love. To Grandma, don't you worry I learned from the best, I am keeping them all in line at Forrester. We miss you all greatly and know that you are here with us in your own special way!"

Steffy hands the microphone back to the minister as she and Liam open the box of butterflies. Hundreds of butterflies exit the box, flying off into the breeze, yet four tiny butterflies stick around. One flies over and lands on Ridge and Taylor clasped hands, the second goes and sits on Erics shoulder, a third lands on Liam's chest, next to his heart and the final butterfly lands on Liam and Steffy's joined hands. Surprising all the guests and the couple themselves, Steffy quietly whispers "Aspen".

"Wedding rings are made precious by our wearing them. Your rings say that even in your uniqueness you have chosen to be bound together. Let these rings also be a sign that love has substance as well as soul, a present as well as a past, and that, despite its occasional sorrows, love is a circle of happiness, wonder, and delight. May these rings remind you always of the vows you have taken here today."

"I Liam give you Steffy this ring as an eternal symbol of my love and commitment to you."

"I Steffy give you Liam this ring as an eternal symbol of my love and commitment to you."

"And now, by the power vested in me by the State of California, I hereby pronounce you husband and wife. Liam, you may kiss your bride. Ladies and Gentlemen it is my great honour to present to you Mr and Mrs Liam and Steffy Spencer."

"Friends and family, to conclude this ceremony, Liam and Steffy have chosen there brothers to bare witnesses, Mr and Mrs Spencer, Wyatt and Thomas would you please come forward and sign your names to the certificate of marriage."

It was at this very moment that Liam noticed the butterfly still sitting on his chest and one sitting on his wife's flowers. In his heart, he knew that everyone who was important to him was present on that day.

"I think I just heard a million hearts from around the globe officially break... you're all mine now, from now until eternity!"

"I wouldn't have it any other way! Hmm do you think we can eat before we get fully into photo mode, baby mumma is hungry!"

"For you my love, anything! I will ask someone to go and find you something to eat, are you wanting anything in particular?"

"Nothing major, just a snack! I am sure Caroline could use something too!"

"I shall send Wyatt into the house to grab you something!"

"Baby, he is your best man and brother, not your slave!"

"And he is also the twins uncle and they already have him wrapped around their little fingers, trust me, he will do it!"

"He will do what?" Wyatt interrupts the newlywed's conversation.

"You brother dearest, will run up to the house and grab something to eat for the twins!"

"Sure no worries, will a banana do or do you want something more than that? Anything for my new sister and those babies!" Wyatt states as he makes his way towards the house.

"What is with you and having the Spencer men at your beckon call? Hmm?"

"I have no idea... If it makes you feel any better I only need one of them!"

"Oh yeah and who might that be?"

"Your father of course, he owns our house! Ha, if you could have seen your face just then! The only Spencer man I need is my Husband!"

"Say it again!"

"I Steffy Spencer love my darling husband, Liam, with all of my heart!"

After countless photographs had been taken of the happy couple, their families and friends the celebrations relocated to the marquee that had been set up on the tennis court. Liam and Steffy mingled with their guests late into the night, partying hard until fatigue got the best of Steffy and she and her husband decided to retire for the night. After a quick farewell to all their guests, Liam picked Steffy up and carried her back towards the main house, carrying her over the threshold of their family home.

"I love you husband!"

"I love you wife!"

"Ouch! I think the little ones are feeling left out! We both love the pair of you!"

"She is right guys, Mummy and Daddy, love you so, so very much!"

"Today, today, was perfect! I cannot believe you surprised me with these wedding bands! They are amazing, just like my husband!"

"I am glad you like them, even if I can't take all the credit! The idea was mine but I did have some help from our jeweller!"

"Who knew I was marrying such a sentimental guy?"

"Who knew I would see my wife cry more times in the past 5 months than I ever had before and almost every single tear shed has been because of romance. I never thought I would see the mushy side to tough girl Steffy Forrester Spencer! I kind of like this good girl side of you!"

"And here I was thinking you were past your good girl phase!"

"Well it just so happens, with you my darling wife, I get to have both!" Liam states as he leans in for a kiss.

"Right answer! Baby can we go to bed now, I am so tired and this dress is getting heavy and tight and your pregnant wife is feeling extremely uncomfortable!"

"Come here my love, let's get you undressed and into bed! It has been a long day and I know you must be tired!" Liam states while unzipping Steffy's dress and helping her to step out of it.

Steffy crawls into bed naked as Liam switches off the lights in the living room and locks the front door. When he returns to their bedroom, he notices Steffy lying seductively on the covers of their bed.

"You look shocked my love, you didn't honestly thing that I was going to let our first night as husband and wife slip past did you! Now be a good husband and get your butt out of that suit and into our bed. You wife may be pregnant but she had needs too. I am sure you can meet them for me can you my love."

"You Steffy Spencer, will be the death of me I am convinced!" exclaims Liam as he quickly strips off and joins his wife in their bed.


	10. Chapter 10

AN: Here is the next chapter... I have a favourite line in this one... let me know if you do to... Hope you enjoy the chapter.

Thanks for all the reviews... keep them coming! ENJOY!

As requested, Liam and Steffy spent the week following their wedding lock away at the cliff house in Malibu. Unfortunately for them, they were unable to fly due to the pregnancy and the risks that they were facing. At the end of their peaceful week, Liam decided it was time to tell Steffy about Ivy's visit the day of the wedding. While sitting together on the couch, entangled in each others arms, Steffy notices that Liam is in another world, little does she know he is trying to work out how to tell her about Ivy's latest attempts to end their relationship.

"Where were you just then? You certainly weren't here, with your wife!"

"Hmmm, what? Sorry baby what did you say I was lost in my thoughts!"

"I asked where you were, I hope that whatever I am doing to you in your thoughts is worth not mentally being here with me! Tell me about it, what is on your mind."

"Ivy."

"Please tell me that you did not just tell your new wife, who just so happens to be 22 weeks pregnant that you are thinking of another woman, but she isn't just any other woman, she is your ex-wife who just so happens to be madly in love with you!"

"Hey whoa, calm down, deep breaths, unless you calm you sexy as hell ass down I won't tell you the latest scandal, because if this is going to make you stress out, then I am all for keeping things from you until these twins arrive."

"Okay, alright it get it, you want me to relax, you want me to stay calm, well when your wife asks you what you are thinking about don't blurt out your ex-wife's name!"

"You are right; I shouldn't have started our conversation like that! But there is something I do need to tell you. I promised Caroline I would tell you the day after the wedding, but we were a little distracted that day..." Liam says with a smirk on his face and a nibble on Steffy's ear.

"Go on; tell me what you have been keeping from me!"

"Promise to not lose your cool?"

"Liam if you don't tell me fast, I am going to lose it big time! Now what it going on!"

"On the day of our wedding, when you sent Caroline over to the guest house... I wasn't alone when she got there!"

"I never thought you would be, I expected that your Dad, Katie, Wyatt and even Will would be there with you..."

"Ha, if only! When Caroline walked into the guest house she discovered that, she found, I was in the middle of...!"

"God Liam if you can't spit it out soon the twins will be one by the time you finish your story! What did Caroline witness?"

"Ivy came to the guest house, on our wedding day. Steffy, she, tried to get me to leave you. She, she kept going on and on about how you were trying to trap me with these babies. She was saying that they aren't mine and that I am only marrying you because of the twins, that I don't really love you, that our marriage was one of obligation. All of that I could handle, I hated every second of it, but I could handle it because there has never been a doubt in my mind that they are mine, you my love, are the loyalist person I know, in fact it is your loyalty that ends up getting you hurt most of the time! The thing that cut me to the core was... was when... was when she pretended to know and understand what happened that day. She was acting like she knew what it was like to lose a child, to have something so precious taken away from you. Ivy mentioning our little girl is not okay with me. I know I should have told you sooner, but I just didn't know how to, all I ever want is to keep the three of you safe, and that crazy woman is a risk to you all! I'm sorry baby!"

"Oh Liam! She is not worth my stress! You knew then and you know now that everything she was telling you was utter crap! If that was her last ditch effort to win you back, she doesn't know you or our story very well at all! I love you so much, husband! As for her mentioning Aspen again, she better not be in the office when I am next in there... let alone when I return to work. Maybe we could send her off to the international office in Paris... surely they can use her! I am sorry she did this to you, especially on our day."

"Wait, what, that is it? No yelling, no screaming, no threatening to kill her?"

"What good would any of that be? All it would achieve is raising my blood pressure and stressing out the twins, and we don't need that!"

"Wow, they say pregnancy and marriage changes people, but I never expected this change!"

"At the end of the day, I won! I am Mrs Spencer, I am having your babies, I am the one who gets to call you my husband and I am the one who is happier than I have ever been in my life and that is all thanks to you! So yeah, maybe I have changed or maybe I have gotten a little perspective on this thing called life, and Ivy is not my problem nor is she my priority. You and these babies on the other hand are my biggest priority!"

"Who knew I married such a wise woman!"

"Oh I did! I also love that you defended my honour, you have no idea how sexy that is!"

"Oh really! I will have to remember that!" He says while kissing Steffy.

"Mmmmmh enough about the plant, I want more of that please." Steffy manages to get out as she steals more kisses from Liam.

After quite the intense make-out session, Liam starts talking about the incident again.

"All those motherly instincts must be starting to kick in for Caroline, you should have seen her jump down Ivy's throat! I was like you were her lion cub, she was ready to go in for the kill! She told me after that if she wasn't so pregnant she would have slapped her half way back across the Pacific!"

"Now that I would have paid to see! Can we please stop talking about Ivy now? She is a jealous, vindictive, manipulative, crazy woman who does not deserve out time, especially not the last few hours of our honeymoon!"

"Don't remind me... this is almost over! Tomorrow I have to leave our little bubble and return to work. I wonder how much damage control I am going to have to do tomorrow. Do you think they have killed our company?"

"Our company? Don't you mean my company!" Steffy says with a smirk on her face.

"Oh don't you know, this wedding was only so I could get control of Forrester and take it away from you. You are just a victim in my evil plan!"

"But that is my plan... I am only in this marriage for the rights to Spencer Publications, the amazing sex is just a bonus. I suppose it doesn't hurt that the lovesick fool I married is mighty good looking too. Alas, I think I might be falling for him, oh no my evil plan is foiled, I can't possibly leave him, I love him!"

"I guess I can work with that! After all even while pregnant my wife has a rocking body! Woman all round the world can only dream to look that good, and the men, the men of this world would love to steal her away from me, it is a good thing I am super possessive over what is mine! I might have to go all cave-man and lock her away from the world so only I can ravish her, following her every whim, fulfilling her every desire!"

"Whoever said being a housewife was boring obviously wasn't married to my husband! Oh all this talk of fulfilling desires and being ravished... my, oh my, what a lucky woman I am!"

"Oh yeah, and don't you forget it! Especially in a few months time when you want to kill me because you are in so much pain from the twins making their entrance into this world!"

"Nah, I have got this labour business! I am going to rock it or I am going to absolutely suck at it and you're going to be the one holding me together, keeping me sane, helping me through each and every contraction! I am aiming for the first one though!"

"I plan on doing the last part no matter how you are coping with it! I plan on holding your hand the entire time, helping you to remember to breath, keeping you sane and if you need me to I will you together. But like everything else you have done it your life I am sure you will rock this too!"

"You hear that little ones, your Daddy thinks Mummy is a rock star! Little does he know he is my rock!"

"I think we are each other's rock. Gosh it has been nice to spend all this time together; I am really not looking forward to getting back to work! Don't get me wrong I love our job but I just love you more!"

The next few weeks trickle on by, everything is running smoothly at Forrester and Steffy has managed to stick to her one hour a week rule imposed by Doctor Caspery. To date the doctor is very impressed with Steffy and how determined she is to bring healthy babies into this world. Liam had continued to support Steffy in this endeavour by leaving as much work drama at Forrester. Grandpa Bill has continued to spoil the twins, finding endless ways to buy things for the two little ones, filling the house with more baby items then Steffy and Liam can ever imagine needing. Steffy and Liam made the decision that they want to share Aspens room with her siblings and have finished fixing up the nursery for the impending arrival of the twins. When Steffy reached the 26 week mark, Liam surprised her with a special dinner with all their family. He figured that it was worth celebrating such a big moment.

Later that week at her doctor's appointment, Steffy and Liam receive the news they had been dreading, Steffy's blood pressure was now at a dangerously high level. For her safety and the safety of the twins Doctor Caspery places her on strict bed rest. Only allowing her to get up to use the bathroom and to shower once a day any food is to be brought to Steffy and she is not to be left alone. While scared that something terrible could happen to her babies, Steffy remains determined to see this pregnancy to the end, or as close as she can get.

"Good morning my love, how are you feeling today?"

"Pregnant! Very, pregnant I am sure I am currently the same size as Caroline and she is due any day now meanwhile I am only 28 weeks! I am over it Liam, this is all your fault!"

"Babies, Mummy loves you she is just frustrated!"

"Liam, frustrated doesn't even begin to cut it! I have the hottest, most loving husband on the planet and here I am stuck on bed rest!"

"Baby, I know you are over it, but just think it will all be worth it in the end, soon we will have our beautiful babies!"

"Liam you are not helping me! I am as horny as hell and we can't do anything about it! I can't even have sex with my husband!"

"I know, I am sorry, you know I would in a heartbeat if it didn't go against Doctor Caspery's rules of bed rest. Now my love, since there is nothing we can do about that situation, how about I run you a nice relaxing bath and fix you some breakfast, lets enjoy the last day of the weekend! Let me spoil my wife!"

"Mmmm a bath does sound good! Can you make us some of the fruit salad... you know where you cut it all up into tiny little pieces... but no banana this time, we don't like banana anymore."

"Whatever you want my love!" Liam leaves the room to run a warm bath for Steffy. Once the tub is full, Liam helps Steffy undress and helps to lower her into the water, when she is settled; he leaves to make the fruit salad she is craving.

Halfway through cutting up the fruit Liam hears Steffy's phone ringing from in the bedroom, knowing his wife and her ring tones he knows that it is her father calling and he rushed to the bedroom to grab the phone and take it to his wife in the bathroom.

"Hey Dad, what's up? It's a little early for you to be calling me to check on you grandbabies don't you think?"

"I know it is early but I figured you and Liam wouldn't mind. In fact I think you would be rather angry with Caroline and I if I didn't call you!"

"What Dad is Caroline alright, is the baby okay?"

"Sweetheart, Caroline, is perfectly fine, tired but fine and your little brother, he is perfect too!"

"WHAT! She had the baby! I have a baby brother! Liam I have a baby brother!"

"Yes darling girl you do! Spencer James Forrester decided that he was ready to come and meet his Mum and Dad in the early hour of this morning, all 8 pounds 2 ounces of him!"

"Is Caroline doing okay?"

"She is doing really well; she is a natural at this, just like I know you are going to be!"

"Oh Dad I am so happy for you, for both of you! Now you have to send me some pictures of my little brother... if you can't work it out get Caroline to do it! I can't believe he is here!"

"Will do honey, now you take it easy and calm your excitement down, I don't need my son and my grandbabies sharing a birthday!"

"Very funny Dad! Give that little man a cuddle and a kiss from his big sister and do the same for Caroline! Love you all!"

"We love you all too! I will talk to you soon."

"Bye Dad."

"So tell me all about your little brother my love!"

"His name is Spencer James Forrester, born early this morning, Sunday March 27th, weighing 8lb2oz. Dad said they are both doing really well and he is going to try and send me some photos, but I wish I could go and visit them!"

"Oh my love, maybe when we go to Doctor Caspery tomorrow for your appointment we can ask if you are allowed to have a quick visit to the maternity ward. I am sure that it will be fine, after all you will be in a hospital!"

"I would like that! My husband is such a smart man! How did I get so lucky?"

"I am the lucky one... have you seen how good my wife looks naked! Hot dang, she is stunning!"

"Hmm, baby, do you think you can help me up and out of this tub, I am ready to get out now and the twins are rather hungry!"

After Liam finished making the fruit salad he and Steffy spend the rest of the day watching movies in bed and constantly checking their phones for new photos of baby Spencer.

Steffy's appointment with Doctor Caspery the next day went really well, he blood pressure had stayed the same as the previous week but the doctor did remind them of the warning signs that is it getting too high and that if Steffy ever has blurred vision or feels dizzy or light headed, they need to come straight to the hospital. When asked if they could pass by the Maternity ward on their way home Doctor Caspery allows it, but only for 10 minutes.

"Knock, knock! I hear the newest heartbreakingly handsome Forrester wants to meet his big Sister"

"Steffy what are you doing here you're supposed to be on bed rest! I know this is a bed and it is restful-ish, but you aren't supposed to be here! If your dad finds out he will flip!"

"It is okay we cleared it with Doctor Caspery, I have 10 minutes before I have to be on my way home so hand him over while I still have time! I need to cram in as many snuggles with this little dude as I can!" Steffy informs Caroline as she takes baby Spencer out of her arms.

"How are you coping with everything?"

"God knows I am going insane on this bed rest business, but knowing that at the end of it I am going to have two little ones, who are perfect just like this little guy is going to make it all worth it!"

"It can't be easy for you... giving up all your independence, having to rely on everyone else..."

"It's so hard and not to mention boring! You know I actually miss being at work, seeing the new designs, giving my input, feeling needed by someone other than the pair of monkeys who currently steal every ounce of my energy!"

"If it is any consolation, Forrester misses you too. Nobody does sexy, sassy and classy quite like you do!"

"Caroline, truthfully, how painful was it... like on a scale of 1-10...!"

"What the delivery? Steffy they call in labour for a reason, it is bloody hard work but at the end of it all you get the best reward ever, this little human who is all yours to love and adore! You may have double the work coming up but you are also going to have double the reward... I know there isn't anything you wouldn't do for those babies and that includes going through a bit of pain to bring them into this world. For your entire pregnancy, you have done whatever was needed to ensure your babies have the best chances. You are already the best mum to them, and I know you are going to love them with every fibre of your being, just like I love that little guy!"

"You really are a mum now, you know all the perfect things to say and just when to say them! Oh baby Spencer, you are one lucky boy, not only do you have the most amazing Mum and Dad but you have the best big sister in the entire world looking out for you! Trust me little man, when you need to know how to get what you want out of Dad, come and talk to me... I have him all figured out!"

"Steffy my love it is time to give him back, we need to get you home..."

"I love you little man, it won't be long and you will get to meet your nieces or nephews! Until I am allowed out and about, take care of your Mum and Dad for me!"

"Thanks for coming to visit us! Now get home and rest big sister!"

"Bye Caroline, give my love to Dad, he is pretty special!"

Before anyone knew it baby Spencer was a week old and thriving. They had been released from hospital of the 4th day of Spencers life and we slowly settling in to life at home, including planned visits to his big Sisters house to help keep her company.

Late at night, before one of Spencers visits to Steffy and Liam's house Steffy wakes up in a damp bed, thinking instantly that her waters had broken it isn't until she reaches down that she notices her pyjama bottoms are dry and the dampness is coming from Liam's side of the bed. Slowly Steffy sits her 29week pregnant body up and reaches to turn on the light. It is in that moment she realises that Liam is covered in sweat and is shaking uncontrollably.

"Liam sweetheart, wake up!"

"Soooo cold! Steffy why is it soooo cold in here?"

"Liam, it's not cold in here, something is wrong with you, baby I need you to sit up for me okay!" Slowly Steffy rises to her feet and waddles into the bathroom grabbing a glass of water, the Tylenol, the baby thermometer they picked up last week and a damp washcloth.

"Liam, wake up, open your eyes for me! I need you to wake up and take some medicine; it is going to make you feel lots better..." Steffy continues as she places the washcloth on the back of Liam's neck and proceeds to take his temperature.

"Oh Liam, you have been so busy taking care of me you failed to look after yourself and now look at you! You are sick as dog and running a fever of 102.9!"

"My job is to look after you!"

"Yeah well I love you for that but you aren't much good to me like this are you!"

"Mmmmm love you!"

"Yeah baby I love you too, go back to sleep and I will keep an eye on you!"

"Aspen sleep too!" Liam mumbled as he drifted back to sleep.

"Oh baby, you aren't well at all are you?"

Meanwhile during his addled sleep Liam receives a visit from a beautiful brunette girl who has her mother's eyes, looking deeply into his soul.

"Daddy you need to get need to get better for Mummy, they will be here soon and she needs you to be better."

"Who will be here soon baby girl?"

"The twins silly! They will be here soon, it is almost time, Daddy I hope you are ready!"

"Oh baby girl your Mumma was right you are so beautiful!"

"Aunt Phoebe tells me that all the time! Grandma Kelly told me the other day that while my eyes might be the same colour as Mummy's, I give her the exact some soulful looks that you used to give her. She also thinks that while I am an old soul I have all of mummy's spunk, whatever that means. I am okay here Daddy, really I am, I have the best people with my all the time!"

"Hey Daddy, when mummy was in the pretty dress and you had the butterflies, you know when you let them out of the box, that was such a fun day... I like it when I can come and be close to you both... sometimes it is easier than others but I do try to visit you often, you just don't notice as much as Mummy does."

"How did you become so clever and so big? Oh darling girl, Daddy loves you so much, and so does Mummy!"

"Daddy don't be sad, I can't come back if I make you sad, please don't be sad Daddy!"

"Daddy isn't sad baby, I just miss you and wish you were here with us waiting for the twins to arrive."

"Aspen my darling girl, do you think you can do something for Daddy... When you see Grandma Kelly next can you give her a big cuddle and kiss from me and tell her that Daddy loves her so much and that I miss her, just like I miss you baby girl."

"Oh Daddy, we already know these things! Grandma Kelly and GG tell me that whenever I feel the breeze on my face it means that you and mummy are thinking about me, blowing me a kiss or missing me! Sometimes the days are still with only the slightest breeze and other times I almost get knocked over in the wind. I love you Daddy, but I have to go now... remember they are coming soon so prepare mummy, tell her not to worry, everyone will be okay!"

Steffy decides to go and rinse the washcloth in cool water and reapply it to Liam's forehead, as the Tylenol starts to kick in and Liam's fever begins to break he starts to rouse from his troubled sleep muttering as he comes to.

"Aspen baby don't go!" Steffy struggles to make out the end of the sentence but can clearly hear Liam mention their daughters name.

"Liam, sweetheart, it's okay, it's just a dream, you are okay, we are okay."

"Mmmmm Steffy. Where did she go, Aspen, she was right here!"

"Liam baby, Aspen is gone, you are sick, you're running a fever, we need to cool you down."

"No Steffy she was right here, our baby girl was right here! I could see her, hold her, kiss her, She, She, She was just here a second ago... Oh our darling princess is just like her mother, stunning in every sense of the word!"

"I know it is hard, to see her and let her go again... I get it baby, but right now we need to get you into the shower to cool down and we need to change the sheets."

Steffy gets Liam into a lukewarm shower in an attempt to bring his temperature down while she makes her way to the linen closet to get a fresh set of sheets for their bed, when she returns to their room she notices Liam sitting on the end of the bed, looking off into space, as she walks up to Liam he stands a takes the fresh linen from her.

"Hey I will do that, I may have a fever but I am not letting you do the hard work, you are supposed to be on bed rest remember!"

"Mmmm, I know! Trust me these little guys aren't letting me forget it either! My back is starting to hate me and my belly is so tight, and my bladder is sick of being a trampoline, this pregnancy business is uncomfortable!"

"Why don't you go and get that cream from the bathroom, the one Caroline gave you, and we can rub some into that gorgeous belly... if you ask me really nicely I might find some energy to rub some into your back too!"

"Oh you smooth talker you, you know exactly what to say to get me to do what you want!" Steffy replies as she makes her way into their bathroom.

"Hey Liam, LIAM, LIAMMMM!" Steffy yells the panic and fear evident in her voice.

"Steffy, what, what is it?"

"Liam something is wrong, I'm, I'm bleeding!"

 _Please don't hate me! Leave me a review and don't forget to tell me your favourite line... Hmm I wonder if anyone can pick my favourite line!_


	11. Chapter 11

Previously on Stairway To No-Mans Land

\- Steffy is placed on bed rest

\- Liam has a high fever and is visited by Aspen

\- Steffy goes to the bathroom and discovers she is bleeding

"Hey Liam, LIAM, LIAMMMM!" Steffy yells the panic and fear evident in her voice. Liam rushes into the bathroom seeing Steffy turn deathly pale.

"Steffy, what, what is it?"

"Liam something's wrong, I'm, I'm bleeding!"

"What do you mean your bleeding?"

"I mean there is blood in my undies and there shouldn't be!"

"Like it is gushing out of you bleeding or just a little bit?"

"Liam it doesn't really matter how much blood there is, it shouldn't be there. Oh, god I can't do this again! I cannot lose my babies, Liam I can't, I won't survive that! Liam something is wrong with our babies! Oh god, owww!"

"Steffy, baby we need to get you into the car so we can go to the hospital. I am just going to chuck on some sweatpants and a shirt and then I can carry you to the car. Baby everything is going to be alright!"

"Liam you don't know that, how can you know that!"

"I may not know it but Aspen does! Okay, she, she told me that they would be coming soon and that even though they were going to be early, everything was going to be okay. So trust in that baby! Have faith that our little girl is keeping watch over you all!" Liam reassures Steffy on their way to the car.

"What if this is it, what if they come tonight. It is too early for them to come Liam, they aren't ready yet!"

"Baby, try and stay calm for me, I am going to call Dr Caspery while we drive so she can meet us as the hospital. Now take some deep breaths for me!"

"Hello, Dr Caspery, It is Liam Spencer here. I am sorry to call at this hour but Steffy is having some bleeding, we are on our way to the Hospital at the moment."

"Steffy, I need to ask you some questions. Have you felt the babies move much lately, have they been very active?"

"They have been pretty quiet, oh god something's wrong isn't it?"

"Steffy stay calm for me, them being still doesn't tell me much, remember there are two of them in there and space is limited. Steffy have you had any cramping or lower back pain, the cramps can range is severity and might even feel similar to period pain?"

"My back has been sore for a long time, but the pain changed a little this morning, as for cramps, I am having little niggly pains at the moment, I wouldn't call them cramps more so pulses."

"Okay that's good; those pains are generally a sign that your body is just preparing itself for labour soon. However, I still want to check everything out at the hospital. Now can you tell me, was there lots of blood? What colour was it?"

"It was bright red, and it was almost like the beginning of a light period, but different, I, I don't know!"

"Hey Doctor Caspery we are about 3 minutes away, do we go to Emergency or the Maternity ward where your office is?" Liam promptly asks.

"Come straight up to my office, I have just finished up with a patient in emergency and am on my way up. Steffy everything is going to be okay."

Liam and Steffy arrive at the hospital and quickly make their way up to the Doctors office.

"Steffy I am going to hook you up to some monitors, so we can keep an eye on the twins and their heart rates, we want to make sure they aren't stressing out in there, just because Mummy is. Nurse please attach two foetal monitors to Mrs Spencer."

"Steffy I am going to examine you to make sure your cervix is still in tacked. Nurse can you establish an IV and administer Antenatal corticosteriods, magnesium sulphate, Terbutaline and a bag of fluids. You will also need to advise the ward that they have a HPHD case coming their way."

"Right away, Doctor."

"HPHD? Antenatal sulphate? Doctor what's going on with my wife and babies and what are all the drugs for?"

"Liam, Steffy, you are in labour. HPHD stands for High Profile High Dependency it is nothing for you to worry about. The antenatal corticosteriods are going to help the twins to develop their lungs, the magnesium sulphate is a preventative measure for problems that could affect the babies brains like cerebral palsy and the Terbutaline is to stop labour. Steffy, we are going to have to admit you to the ward. Our aim right now is to put off labour for the next 48 hours. We need the steroids to have time to work. So what I need you to do is to relax, take some deep breaths and stay calm for me. We are going to keep you and the twins on the monitors just as a safety measure. However, it seems that they are quite content in there based on their heart rates. Now Liam, did you by any chance bring Steffy's hospital bag with you when you raced out of the house?"

"I was more focused on getting her here that I totally forgot about the bag!"

"Don't worry about it, we will get her settled in her room, maybe Taylor could bring it in. You are going to be here for at least a few days! Liam you may also want to arrange the next few days off work, your wife is going to need you by her side."

"Thank you doctor, for everything!" Liam states as he kisses Steffy on the head and takes her hand in his, stroking her fingers.

"A nurse will be with you soon to take you to your room. Mr Spencer can I have a quick word with you?"

"Ah sure, and please call me Liam, baby I will be right back okay, I love you."

"Liam, I didn't want to worry Steffy more than necessary but you were very lucky today. Steffy was in the early stages of labour, now the drugs we have given her will slow it right down if not stop it completely, which is what we are hoping for. Once she is settled in her room I am going to come and examine her again, we need to make sure she is not losing too much amniotic fluid. Liam I want you and Steffy to be prepared for and emergency caesarean, I am hoping that it won't come to that but if this labour doesn't stop or anyone of the three of them go into distress then that will be the safest outcome for all involved. I know you are worried and that this is all a lot to process but you need to be the strong one right now, for your wife and your babies."

"Thank you doctor! Do you know what room she will be placed into?"

"Because you are classed as High Profile patients we have a specific room that is behind the nurses' station. Any guests will need to be given access to her room via that desk, so you and Steffy might want to write a list for the staff. We also have a code lock on that door to prevent unwanted visitors, nurses have full access though. I am hoping Steffy is going to be staying a while; the longer she stays the better it is for the babies. She won't be going home between now and the birth so we will aim to make it as comfortable as possible for you all."

"We will get straight onto that list and thank you for thinking about our safety and the twins safety regarding people trying to get in or get the scoop. I hate to ask, but your staff all know they are going to have to sign a confidentiality agreement don't they."

"The hospital already has a general one in place, but if you and Steffy feel you need something more specific to you, the staff will understand and only those who have signed will work with your wife and children. Now Liam I have given you a lot to process and your wife should be settled in her room by now, please feel at home in that space. We know you aren't going to leave her side so maybe someone can bring in some creature comforts from home... I will be by in a little while to check on you all."

At that moment Doctor Caspery left Liam standing in the hall attempting to process everything that had happened in the past 24 hours. As LA began to truly wake-up Steffy and Liam continued to settle into what would become Steffy's home until the twins arrived.

"Baby, you need to ring the office...tell them you aren't going to be in today."

"I will call your father in a little bit, I don't want him to freak Caroline out if I call them too early!"

"You also need to call my mum, we need her to go by the house and pick up my bag... Gosh I hope everything is in it!"

"Whatever you need that is missing I know your mum will pop to the shops to buy for you. Now is there anything else you want from home? Blankets? Pillow? Anything from upstairs? Dr Caspery said you could be here a while so we should make it like home!"

"Oh the blanket off the lounge... I love that blanket, mmm my pillow, oh and maybe mum can get Aspens bear from the shelf in the nursery... I want something of hers here with us! Oh and don't forget a phone charger and my iPad."

"Sure thing my love, do you want to call your mum or shall I?"

"I will call her, she should hear it from me, you do need to call your dad and get him to organise that confidentiality agreement though."

Liam walks across the room and sits on the small couch to call his father and let him know what is happening. Meanwhile Steffy calls Taylor.

"Hey Mum, I'm sorry, did I wake you, I know it is early."

"Don't be sorry, I was awake, in fact I was just thinking about you. I thought that I might pick up some of those éclairs you like from that bakery and bring them over for breakfast."

"That sounds great Mum, but I am not at home."

"What do you mean you are not at home, where the hell are you if you're not at home Steffy?"

"Mum don't freak out, but I went into labour this morning, I am in the hospital... everything is okay for now, the Doctors used some drugs to stop it but I am going to be staying here for a while, until after the twins are born by the sounds of it."

"Oh baby girl! Everything is going to be fine! What do you need me to do?"

"Can you go to our house and get my hospital bag, we were in such a rush to get here that it didn't even cross our minds."

"What about anything else, your robe and that cream you have for your belly?"

"Oh yeah those too and my charger and iPad. Hey Ma can you also grab the blanket from the back of the lounge and my pillow. Oh and Aspens bear from upstairs... we want her here too."

"Okay sweetie, I will see you soon!"

"Oh Ma you will have to sign in at the nurses desk on the maternity ward, it is a security measure."

"Okay baby, do you still want me to bring some of those éclairs?"

"Oh Mum you are too good to us, maybe a decent cup of coffee for Liam too, it's been a long night!"

"You got it! If you think of anything else, just give me a call."

"See you soon Mum, we love you!"

Meanwhile Liam is talking to Bill about the current state of events.

"Hey Dad!"

"Liam what's wrong, you sound stressed... you know stress isn't..."

"Dad we're at the hospital!"

"Oh god is Steffy alright, are the babies alright?"

"She started to go into labour... Dr Caspery managed to get the contractions to stop with drugs, now we just have to wait and see. They also gave her the steroids to help with the babies lungs!"

"But for now they are all okay?"

"Yeah dad they are. Look I really need you to do something for me... Doctor Caspery seems to think we may be here for a little while and I am a little worried about how tight the hospitals confidentiality contracts are. Do you think you can get Justin to draw up some papers for us...?"

"Liam don't even worry about it, I will handle everything. Now are you alright, you sound like you are still stressed!"

"Dad, I was so worried, when she called out from the bathroom that she was bleeding I thought I was about to lose them all. That everything I wanted and needed in my life was about to be ripped away from me. But we are okay, Steffy is going to be fine, the twins are going to be fine! We are hoping that the drugs will keep labour at bay for the next 48 hours so the steroids can do their job and every hour after that is a blessing."

"Okay son, you hang in there, I will get Justin onto this right away and then Katie and I will bring it to you at the hospital."

"Thanks dad. Oh you will have to check in with the nurses' station to gain access to Steffy's room; your name is on the list. We will see you soon."

Liam returns to Steffy's side noticing she is no longer on the phone to her mother.

"Mum said she would call Dad and Thomas for us... tell them what is going on and that you wouldn't be in today, she said that we didn't need to worry about that right now!"

"Work is the last thing on my mind right now! Your safety and the little ones are my only priority right now! Everything else can just wait, nothing is more important than my wife and children!"

"You are so good to us! I have been so caught up in everything that has happened with me that I haven't even checked to see how you are feeling! You had a really high fever last night, you had me worried!"

"I feel okay, I am really tired and a little achy, but I feel almost normal. The strangest thing happened though."

"Aspen came to you didn't she."

"How did you know? God she is so beautiful, just like her mother!"

"You were talking all kinds of crazy and I couldn't really put it all together, you kept saying she was just here, where did she go? You were so distressed that I thought it was just the fever talking... but you got to see her and hold her didn't you! Then in the car you said she told you everything was going to be okay."

"Gosh she is like you, I never thought I could love someone as much as I love you, but our little girl, even though we never got to hold her in our arms, never got to bring her home, I love her just as much. You know she told me last night, she told me 'they would be here soon' and that it would scare the hell out of Mummy, but that everything would be okay, everyone would be okay. She was right though, you were scared beyond believe, knowing you, you probably still are you are just acting fearless, but she was also right in saying that everyone would be okay. We are here, you are all safe and I can't ask for much more than that, except for maybe coffee, I could really use some coffee!"

"Knock, Knock, did I just hear someone say they could use some coffee?"

"Oh my Mother in Law is a goddess!"

"Haha, this was entirely your wife's idea, I am just the delivery lady! Now let me bring a few things in, Hmm let's see, one pillow that my daughter can't live without, one blanket that has been with the pair of you through it all, a hospital bag full of everything you need including both your iPads and chargers and Aspens bear! Did I miss anything? Oh wait and one big hug for my daughter!"

"Oh Mum you are the best!"

"How are you feeling? Have the contractions stopped? Is Doctor Caspery happy with how it is going?"

"Yeah Ma, the contractions have stopped, she thinks I was in labour since yesterday morning, not enough to alarm or alert me but just the early stages. We were lucky that my waters didn't break, she said something about the mucus membrane starting to come away, which was why I was bleeding and that I must now stay in bed because it is now weak and that I could lose too much amniotic fluid if I am not careful, which would start labour again. We are just keeping our fingers crossed that we can get through the next 48 hours without labour starting up again, every hour after that is going to be a blessing; we just need these steroids to have a chance to work!"

"Well that all seems like good news! I called your father, he, Caroline and Spencer send their love and Liam he said that if you even think of showing your face at the office for the rest of the week he is going to really ticked off! Steffy needs you to be here with her right now! It might be worth getting Pam to organise some of your more pressing work and I can pick it up and bring it here for you. That way you will be right here just in case something happens."

Throughout the day Liam and Steffy had a steady stream of visitors, late in the afternoon Dr Caspery came to do a final check on Steffy before ending her shift at the hospital for the day.

"Well Steffy, so far it seems that the Terbutaline is doing its job, your contractions, are no longer registering on the monitor, your cervix hasn't dilated and the membrane is still intact and there doesn't appear to be anymore blood. Now all of this is really good news, I will have the nurses administer some more Terbutaline at around 6pm and then again 12 hours after that. Our aim is to keep those babies in long enough to get the steroids to work. Once the 48-hour period is up, we will not give you any more Terbutaline, if you naturally go into labour once this happens we will continue to monitor everyone and will only intervene if someone goes into distress. Liam, Steffy, I cannot tell you when these babies will be born, it could be the day after next, this week or your body might behave and you could be in here for 5 weeks. We are just spectators in their game; we play by their rules, well most of the time! So get comfortable and relax! I have also arranged for this room to be turned into one of our parents suits, tomorrow someone will be coming by to switch this bed out for a family bed, so Liam for tonight the nurses are going to have a cot brought in but after that you will have a queen bed in here."

"Hey I am allowed to stay, that is all I care about, I would sleep in a chair if I had too!"

"You say that now but this could go on for a week or more, one night in a hospital chair is bearable, more than that and you would be begging for a bed! Now if you will excuse me, I have a couple of other patients to see before I head off. The nurses have explicit instructions to call me if anything changes. Rest up and relax, the nurse will be in later to help you freshen up and no getting out of bed, for anything! Liam make sure she calls the nurse for everything!" Doctor Caspery states as she leaves the room. Liam and Steffy sit quietly thinking about everything that has happened today.

"Liam baby, can you come and lay with me, hold me, hold us... I, I ..." Steffy asked with tears filling her eyes.

"Hey, enough of that, you know what Aspen said, everything is going to be alright! It is scary, I know, you like to be in control and this, this you absolutely no control over what so ever, but it is all going to be alright!" They continue to lay together, Liam absentmindedly stroking her belly.

"Do you think that we will ever have a 'normal' pregnancy?"

"This one isn't even over yet Steffy and you're planning the next one!"

"It's not that I am planning the next one, I, I just don't feel like this is the last time I am ever going to be pregnant. You know, even with all the drama involved with this pregnancy, I really like being pregnant! Even if I have had to spend so much of it on bed rest. Knowing that there are these little humans inside of me, relying on me for everything, it is just magical!"

"And I thought I lost my edgy Steffy when we got engaged! Look at you now, all maternal and gooey! It's adorable!"

"Hey you just watch it! This mumma bear might be all soft and mushy right now, but heaven help the poor soul who ever tries to hurt my babies! They will get more than just your edgy Steffy!"

"Lucky I love every version of you Steffy, especially Mumma bear Steffy! In fact I find it sexy... no one would be game to get between the Stephanie Forrester Spencer and her children! Heck even I am scared of that wrath!"

"Yeah, and don't you forget it! Now quit talking and let me take a nap..." Liam goes to get off her bed "Where do you think you are going, your job is to lay here and hold me in your arms... a few smooches wouldn't go astray either Husband dearest!"

"Yes Ma'am, are you comfortable, do you need anything?"

"Everything I need is right here in this bed with me! Our twins are still in my belly, we have our little piece of Aspen with us and I have you... whatever happens next we will get through it together!"

AN: The drama of the twins continues in the next chapter... I know I have been posting roughly every 2 days but I am no longer on holidays (vacation) and only have 1 more chapter written after this one so updates are about to become less regular. I am sorry! Know this, your reviews and subscriptions are motivation for me, they push me to write these chapters faster, especially when I am having writers block! Which I currently have . It doesn't help that the current Liam/Steffy (STEAM) storyline is so crap! I have to wonder what Steffy ever did to make Bell want her to have some version of kidnapping in her life every 10 ish years.

For those who don't remember as a toddler Morgan kidnapped her, when she was a teenager her mother 'died' aka was kidnapped by King/Prince of Oman, and now diabolical Quinn has taken her fiancé prisoner so her son can try and win over his BROTHERS girl! So much for her loving Spencer men... Bill is going to kill her if/when he finds out she did this and didn't take Liam to the hospital not to mention the wrath of Steffy!


	12. Chapter 12

Sorry for the delay in posting this... Life is crazy now that my Summer Vacation is now over! I am having some serious issues with writing the next little bit of this story!

Remember feedback is really great, it motivates me to get the next chapter written, even when I am struggling with it! I hope you all like the names!

AN: So I may have swore a couple of times in this one... Oops!

At 6pm, a full 36 hours after arriving at the hospital Steffy and Liam observed the nurse administer what would be their final dose of Terbutaline. Once the 12 hour dosage wore off the fate of the twins arrival was totally up to them.

"Well I guess this is it! Whatever happens after this dose is out of our hands, it is all up to you little ones. Even though Daddy and Mummy really want to meet you both we would prefer that you say inside for a little bit, Mummy wants to be pregnant for a little while longer, please babies can you do that for me... your Mummy."

"Steffy baby, as Doctor Caspery said, it will happen when it happens, it is almost all up to them when they arrive now. We have done everything we can, now we just need to have some faith that the twins stay put for a few more days at least!"

"Mentally, I know that they could decide that tomorrow is a great day for a birthday and there won't be anything I can do about it but emotionally, I am terrified about what is still to come. I, I, I... keep having these flashbacks of when I woke up last time... after my accident... I am so scared that something terrible is going to happen and I won't be able to protect them, that I can't keep them safe... I worry that if something happens to them we won't survive it, and even if I did survive it, it wouldn't be worth it, not without my babies and not without you!"

"Hey, I am not going anywhere, ever! You are my world, remember what we said to each other when I slid that ring onto your finger... remember 'you are my beginning and my end. You are my other half, without you, my world does not make sense. Always and forever.' No matter what happens, you are it for me, god help me if anything ever happens to you! I better die first when we are old and grey because without you by my side, my heart would stop, I couldn't go on!"

"Well lucky for you no one is going anywhere! The twins are going to stay put for a little while and you my love, are just going to have to deal with me for like the next seventy years, but even then it won't be long enough for me, I could spend 100 lifetimes with you and not get sick of you!"

"You know I feel the same way baby! Now what do you say we get some rest... this could be the last time we can nap in each other's arms without two amazingly adorable attention grabbers wanting you all to themselves."

"Sound like daddy is getting jealous of how much time and attention you two are going to get from Mummy... not to mention the attention you get to give to one of Daddy's favourite parts of Mummy."

"Oh god! Did you have to remind me! How many weeks after do I have to wait... for to you, to you know be good to go because I think we may have to book Grandma Taylor in to babysit for a little bit that day!"

"I am sorry baby, I know it has been forever. Trust me I know exactly how long it has been! I have been in a constant state of turned on throughout this entire pregnancy and we haven't been able to do anything about it since I was placed on this bed rest business! So I know your pain my love!"

"Okay baby daddy, this may be the last chance you get to wrap your arms around this belly... hell it could be the last time I have a pregnant belly, so let's relax and enjoy this moment, together, as a family."

As the hours ticked on by Liam and Steffy remained comfortably cuddled up in her bed. Liam woke to the sunlight peeking in through the blinds and noticed the time, 5.50am. It was almost the moment of truth. Had they successfully calmed down Steffy's body, would she be able to have her wish, to keep them inside for a little while longer?

"Good morning my lovely!" Liam states while giving Steffy a kiss.

"Mmmm morning. What time is it?"

"Almost 6am baby... moment of truth, the Terbutaline should be wearing off soon. So from now on it is all up to your body and the twins. If they come today, we now know that their lungs have been given the best possible chances of being ready. Whatever happens, happens and we will face it together! I love you!"

Minutes turned into hours and hours turned into days, before anyone had realised it had been a week since Steffy was admitted to the hospital. Every day that passed filled Liam and Steffy with confidence that their little ones were going to be just fine. One week turned into two and before long Steffy was 33 weeks and 6 days pregnant.

"I think that Mummy has more control over the little ones than she realised!" Liam quietly whispered to Steffy one morning.

"I think you might be right! You know I think I am ready now... emotionally, I think I now know that while they might arrive early, they are going to be okay. I know that now! So little ones whenever you are ready, Mummy and Daddy are ready!"

At that moment Doctor Caspery enters Steffy's room.

"Good morning Steffy, Liam, how are you feeling today?"

"I am feeling good, huge but good! I don't know how much more this belly can stretch though!"

"You would be surprised what the body can do! Heck just over 3 weeks ago we were ready to deliver your twins, 10 weeks earlier than their due date, but with a little bit of intervention we managed to keep them in! You know Steffy, you have surpassed all of our expectations, all the staff thought that the second the last round of Terbutaline wore off you would go into hard-core labour, with the twins being born very quickly, but they have held off! Everything is looking really good, your blood pressure is still a little on the high side but it is stable so if you and Liam decide to have more children in the future it is something that we will monitor very closely."

"Doctor when I came in three weeks ago you said that you thought I was in labour since early the day before, you said that the pains in my back and the niggly cramping almost like period pains were probably early contractions... is that what I should be aware of now... are they the signs that I am in labour."

"Yes Steffy they are, for a majority of this pregnancy you have been carrying towards the back so I would expect that you would again start to feel labour pains in your back."

"Um Doctor Caspery... I think you better examine me then..."

At this point Liam head pops up, having been listening to everything while working through a mountain of emails.

"Steffy, baby are you okay? Are you in pain? Why didn't you say something?"

"Liam I am sure it is nothing to worry about, heck I have been uncomfortable for weeks now, if I were to react to every single niggle or pain Doctor Caspery would never get to go home."

"Steffy while it is probably nothing, I am still going to examine you and see what is going on. I am just going to get your nurse and let her know what is happening, that way if I need something she can get it for me."

Doctor Caspery leaves the room and promptly returns with Steffy's nurse.

"Alright, let's see what is going on shall we... Steffy are you by some chance having one of these pains now? Do you happen to know when they started?"

"Yeah I am... it's not bad or anything, just like when I get my period, ever since I had that accident I have experienced pretty severe period pain so I guess I am just used to it, it is no worse than what I normally experience. I know I woke up at around 5.30 this morning in some discomfort if that is any help."

"Nurse, can I get you to hook Steffy up to the monitors please, we will need 2 foetal heart rate monitors and one on mum too. Steffy, you have nothing to be concerned about, the pains you are feeling are indeed contractions, in fact you are already 4cm dilated. Based on this I can tell you now the your pain threshold must be quite high, now I cannot guarantee that the twins will arrive today, but at the rate that you have dilated so far over the past 4 hours, my guess is that by later tonight this family will have two new additions."

"Doctor are you telling me that my wife is in labour and has been for the past 4 hours and we had no idea."

"Liam I can tell you this, either today or tomorrow you are going to be holding your children in your arms."

"Wow!"Liam states slightly in shock "Steffy why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want to worry you until I knew for sure! Doctor, the twins, so far, are they doing okay?"

"Their heart rates are normal, just like yours is. Now while these contractions are mild and you can handle it I would suggest getting some rest and maybe giving your mother a call Steffy, telling her not to come and visit... tell her your resting today. We can also have the desk tell people that you are not having any visitors today. I will be back to check on you in an hour, if anything changes or you need anything push your buzzer and the nurse will be in. Take that nap; you will need your energy later!"

Doctor Caspery left the room and Steffy started to cry.

"Hey baby, talk to me, what is going on in that pretty head of yours?"

"I should have already done this once... We should be having to call mum to tell her not to bring Aspen in to see us today. We should have an 18 month old at home... this whole process scares me to death. I thought I was ready, but every twinge of a contraction is making me think of her, of how badly I ruined everything when we lost her. I, I don't know if I can do this Liam!"

"You listen to me, you are Steffy Forrester Spencer! You are the strongest, bravest, smartest, most badass woman I know. YOU are already an amazing Mum to our children. YOU can do anything you set your mind to, this, this right here and now is just the last little bit of hard work. You have said it yourself, you are a type A personality, if I thought I could do this to your standard I would do it all myself but there is no one in this world who can do this like you can! Let's not worry about the things we cannot control, let's focus on the here and now, because that my love, is all that matters!

"Oh my perfect husband...ggggggggrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr" Steffy starts to say but abruptly stops and grips her belly.

"Oh wow, okay that one was stronger, like lots stronger!" She says while glancing at the clock over Liam's shoulder. "It might be best if you call Mum, tell her I am sleeping otherwise she will know as soon as I open my mouth that something is up if I speak to her and I don't want anyone but you here. This is our time, the others can come later, once we have had a chance to be a little family first. Plus that way we will know all the facts!"

"Whatever you want my love. Will you be okay for a little bit while I call your mum... you will have to stay quiet or she won't by it!"

"I will be fine... I have had my freak out, now go call her before it is too late and she is walking through that door!"

As Liam walked over to the window to call Taylor, Steffy was hit with another strong contraction, this one lasting twice as long as the previous one. As she breathed through the pain Steffy once again took note of the time, realising that the pervious one was only 3 minutes ago. At the sound of Steffy gripping the bed rail as she panted through the contraction, Liam ended his conversation with his mother in law and made his way to Steffy's bedside.

"Another one baby, the last one wasn't that long ago..."

"Shut up Liam! I don't tell them when to happen, they just happen! Oh god... I hate you so much right now!"

At that very moment one of the alarms on the monitors goes off and both Doctor Caspery and a nurse burst into the room and move Liam out of the way.

"Okay Steffy talk to me, what just happened"

"I had another really strong contraction... I have been...ahhhhhhh ffft fttt fttt."

"My contractions are getting longer and closer together... " Steffy pauses as she screws up her face as another one hits her and she reaches out for Liam's hand.

"Alright Steffy it seems that some little people are in a big rush this morning, Liam I am going to get you to put a gown on. Steffy I am going to quickly examine you to see how dilated you are. Nurse based on these contractions we aren't going to make it to the delivery suite, have 2 Neonatal Intensive Care teams paged to this room and get another nurse in here too..."

"I think I need to push!" Steffy states as her hospital room is flooded with people, ready to help with the twins if needed.

"Okay Steffy, you don't muck around when you set your mind to a task do you! Liam help me to make her more comfortable, We are going to sit this bed up a bit. Now Steffy on your next contraction I want you to bear down and push. Nurse continue to monitor all the stats please."

As Steffy bears down Doctor Caspery ask twin A's team to stand by, ready to work on the tiny infant if needed.

"Steffy you are doing really well, your baby is crowning, on your next contraction I want another one of those big pushes and the head will be out. Here it comes 1, 2, 3 push... I want you to push for 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1! Great job Steffy."

"Oh baby you are doing so well, I love you so much! Not long now!"

"Here comes the next one Steffy, one big push and baby A will be here!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!"

"That's it Steffy keep going."

In that instant a soft whimper fills the room, as Steffy and Liam's baby enters the world. Eyes open and looking around at everyone.

"It's a BOY!" Doctor Caspery announces.

"Baby, we have a son" Liam says as he drops a kiss on Steffy's sweaty head,

"Dad would you like to cut the cord?" Liam steps forward and cuts the cord while Steffy looks down towards he little boy

"Why isn't he crying? Is he okay? LIAM he's not crying! What is wrong with my son?"

"Steffy, he is alert and looking around, he is doing well, I am going to give him to the NICU team to check over okay."

"Liam go with him, don't let him be alone..."

"Steffy you have another baby to deliver yet! I am not letting you do that on your own!"

"Liam please! I know where you are, he doesn't, I can do this remember I am Stephanie Forrester Spencer, I can't be over there please go be with our son! Let him know he is not alone, he must be so scared!"

Liam reluctantly leaves Steffy's side to be with their son.

"Okay mumma, ready for take two? Your next contraction is coming! How is that little boy doing over there?"

"He is perfect Doctor, 1 Minute APGAR of 8, 1 point off for grimace and 1 for activity, he is breathing fine on his own, awake and alert, looking around and staring at his Daddy, ready for some skin to skin. Would you like to hold him sir? "

"Hear that Steffy he is fine, he probably takes after his father and is a quite soul... now that next contraction is coming and I need you to push!"

After several rounds of pushing and contractions a piecing squeal can be heard as twin B enters the world. At this stage Liam and their son have relocated over to the chair beside Steffy, awaiting the news of the next baby.

"Mummy, Daddy, Big Brother, by the sounds of it this princess takes after her Mummy!" Doctor Caspery says as she hold the little girl up to show her off to her parents and then passes her to the doctors and nurses to be checked over.

"Liam we have a daughter, we have a little boy and a little girl... is she okay?" She queries while staring lovingly at their little man.

"Hey Mummy, meet our son!" Liam tells Steffy as he gently places the infant on Steffy's bare chest. "I am going to check on our little girl okay my love!"

"Hey little man, I am your Mumma. I love you and your sisters so very much!"

As Steffy sits staring at their son she notices that the loud shrill of her newborn daughters cries have eased. Tearing her gaze away from the precious little baby in her arms, Steffy notes that Liam is now cradling their little princess chest to chest.

"I think your little sister is more like Mummy than mummy cares to admit... in this world all of five minutes and she has daddy wrapped around her fingers!"

Liam slowly makes his way back across the room; daughter snuggled into his chest and sits himself down beside Steffy where they stare down at the little miracles that they created.

"I think Daddy needs to go and buy that shot gun now..." Liam states, "You my little princess are so much like your mother already, god help us when you are a teenager! Just like Mummy, you seem to have discovered in the brief time that you have been in this world, exactly how to get daddy to undo his shirt and snuggle your way into Mummy's favourite place!"

"Hey this little guy is doing a pretty good job at snuggling into one of your favourite places too!"

"Hey dude... you are lucky you're cute and they are your meal ticket for the next little while otherwise daddy would be extremely jealous of you!"

"Liam, we can't keep calling them dude and princess... they need names!"

"I know, I know! I have been thinking about what we would do if we had a son, I, I was wondering how you would feel about continuing the Spencer tradition... I was thinking that he could have my name... _William Cooper Spencer V (the 5th)._ I want to continue the tradition, of having that be his name but I also think that that little dude is more of a Cooper than a Will/Bill/Liam so what do you think Mumma?"

"I think you are right, baby Cooper, officially William Cooper Spencer but known as Cooper. As for that little princess, there is someone who I want to honour with a part of her name... I was thinking that her middle name could be Kelly after your mum, if you are okay with that... I was thinking _Jacqueline Kelly Spencer,_ it sounds like a strong name, for a independent young lady, just like her Mumma!"

"Well that was way easier than I thought it was going to be! Welcome to the world William Cooper Spencer and Jacqueline Kelly Spencer. From now until forever we are going to love you both so very much. We love you too Aspen Phoebe Spencer" a teary Liam states while looking up at the ceiling, "more than you will ever know!"

"Do you think we can hold off telling everyone for a little bit? I just want to sit here and take it all in before we become inundated with visitors! We both know our parents will not be able to stay away, let alone Uncle Thomas and Uncle Wyatt! Plus I want to take a shower and clean myself up before I see anyone else!"

"Whatever you would like my lovely, you did amazingly today, I love you so much. I love all three of you so much!"

At that moment Steffy's nurse enters the room.

"Mr and Mrs Spencer, I am sorry to interrupt but hospital policy states that all babies need to have admissions tags attached to them within half an hour of being born. We also use this time to measure and weigh the infants. Mrs Spencer, I often find that a lot of new mum like to use this time to have a shower and clean up. It also means we can change the linins on your bed and have everything set up for the midwife to come and help you to establish feeding. Mr Spencer you are more than welcome to stay with your babies while we go through the process. Have you chosen names yet?"

"A shower sounds like heaven right now! Liam do you think you can take Cooper and Jacqueline over to the nurse and then help me to get up and into the bathroom... my legs feel like jello anyone would think I just gave birth... twice!"

"Baby I will carry you into the bathroom if you need me to!"

"Mrs Spencer, I will need you to keep the bathroom door open as a safety precaution. I am also going to stress that you use both the seat and the rails in there! If you really feel like you cannot stand or need some assistance we can have another nurse come in and help you."

"I am sure Liam will help me with what is needed... being pregnant and becoming a mum has made me get a lot better at this taking advice business!"

Liam helps Steffy to the bathroom and helps her to get into the shower. Just before he turns to leave he whispers in her ear "my sexy mumma! You just literally gave birth and you're so fucking beautiful!"

"I love you too, now go be with our babies, daddy I am pretty sure Jacqueline has been crying ever since she left your arms!"

Liam returns to the room to find the nurse setting up the scales and little Jacqueline screaming while her brother lies next to her holding onto her hand. Not willing to miss capturing a single moment Liam pulls his phone from his pocket and snaps a picture of the pair, who at an hour old are already so full of personality.

"Mr Spencer, we are going to start with the eldest of the two, which is your son correct? Have you picked a name for him yet?

"Yeah we have, we decided to follow tradition, meet William Cooper Spencer V"

"Well shall we see how heavy this little man is? 4lb5oz, which is a pretty decent weight for a Premi twin! They are 7 weeks early correct? So little William let's see how long you are... 48cm (19inches) you might just grow into a tall boy Master William! Shall we measure you little sister now, she has a set of lungs on her!"

"Yeah born at 33 weeks 6 days, but they are doing really well! Doctor Caspery was really impressed with their APGAR results Coopers were 8 at 1 minute after birth and 10 at the 5 minute mark and Jacqueline was 9 and 10. She takes after her mother I think with that set of lungs!"

"Okay little Miss Jacqueline, you are a tiny one aren't you! Let's see, 4lb1oz... there isn't much to her! It's okay princess just a little bit longer and we can wrap you back up! You little one are 43cm in length (17 inches), let's get you wrapped up and back into bed with your brother shall we. Dad by the sounds of it, your wife is finished in the shower, I've got this pair, go give her a hand, she may not ask for help but it's always nice to get it."

Steffy and Liam make their way out of the bathroom, Steffy now dressed in one of her Forrester Creations Fashionable Mums ensembles that will allow her to start this feeding journey.

"If I wasn't here when you gave birth, I would seriously question if you were the twins mother purely on how amazing you look right now Mrs Spencer!"

"My wife is pretty amazing isn't she!"

"Yeah and don't you forget it! Now where are my little ones! I want to hold them both and never let them go!"

"Mr Spencer why don't you sit up next to your wife and I will pass you the twins and you can have your first family photograph. I am assuming that since you have hardly held your daughter that mummy would like to snuggle her."

"My tiny baby Jacqueline, come to mummy!" Steffy says as the nurse places the little pink bundle in her arms "oh you are so small my little one, how heavy was she?"

"4lb1oz Ma'am, 43cm in length."

"Oh Liam she is just so perfect, just like her big brother and just like Aspen!"

"Okay on the count of three...1, 2,..."

"Wait, Liam we need Aspens bear, she needs to be in this photo too! She may not be with us anymore but these little ones are her siblings and she needs to be in our family photo!"

"Can you possibly grab that bear from over there, it was our daughters, we wanted her here with us as our family expanded and since she is no longer with us this is the closest we will ever get to having a family photo with her."

"Sure, not a problem, that is a really sweet idea... Now are we ready for this photograph?"

The nurse manages to take several beautiful photos of the family of four, some looking at the camera, some just looking at each other and a really candid one of Liam giving Steffy a kiss. Not long after the photos have been taken the twins start to fuss and the midwife enters the room.

"By the sounds of this pair, I have arrived just in time! Now Mum, the most important thing I can stress to you while we try to establish feeding is to keep calm, everyone involved is new to this and you are all learning. Now mum since you currently have this little princess in your arms, she is going to be our starting point, it may take a couple of goes to get things happening and it isn't going to be the most comfortable sensation. Chances are that for the first few feeds once your milk comes in fully the three of you may end up wearing more milk than they drink! Now we like to have skin to skin contact when feeding so dad you might like to get the little man stripped off, just wrap him back into his blanket while we set little miss up. Steffy, it may take you and bubs a few attempts to latch on. I am going to teach you the football hold for feeding, it means that you will be able to hold and feed both babies at the same time no matter how big they are as the legs will be laying under your arms. If you place Jacqueline's head in the palm of your hand and have her body rest along your arm with her feet tucked between your arm and body. That's it excellent, now see how she is moving her head around, she is searching but isn't quite sure what it is she is looking for or where to find it."

After around 5 minutes of persevering and guiding Jacqueline's tiny mouth the little miss successfully latched on.

"One down, one to go, ready to take this feeding thing to the next level by adding your little man?"

Liam gently passes a naked Cooper to his mother, placing him is her arm the same way his sister is currently laying. Without any issues Cooper latches on and immediately starts feeding.

"That's my son! He knows when he is onto a good thing!"

"Liam!"

"He isn't the first dad to say that and he won't be the last! You should hear some of the talks the little boys get given when there are latching problems, Fathers and grandfathers telling them to enjoy it! Now Steffy it is critical that you drink plenty of water when feeding you need at least 2 litres per day."

"Baby you are a natural at this mum business!" Liam tells his wife while kissing her on the head as he pulls away he whispers "even if I am jealous as hell of our children right now!"

After the twins have finished feeding, have been burped are redressed, wrapped and sleeping in their parents arms Steffy and Liam settle into the bed to process everything that has happened this morning.

"I guess we should send out a message soon, tell the family that I have evicted the twins!"

"Yeah probably! Who do you think will show up first? Your mum or my dad?"

"I have no idea! They are both so excited for their arrival! I am sure if we had let them they both would have been in here with us... and there are just something's that I do not need your father witnessing, parts of me he shall never see!"

"Oh god! I know right! It is bad enough knowing that he has kissed these lips and that chances are he is going to see your boobs, I don't need him having full viewing access to my wife in all her glory!"

"There is just something about those Spencer men that makes me want to kiss them! Especially the ones with the middle name Cooper, they hold my heart in their hands!"

"I see what you did there Mumma, lucky you were specific! Just in case you have forgotten you are my world, and this pair, are my oxygen, the three of you are my everything, my reason to get up every day!"

"We should choose a picture message to send out to everyone! I am guessing since I am the PR queen it is up to me to create the wording..."

"See my love you aren't just a pretty face!"

"Okay let's use this photo of us and the twins and how about this...

 _Sorry for cancelling your visits this morning, we had other things to deal with..._

 _Welcome to the world William 'Cooper' Spencer V born 11.15am 4lb5oz 48cm long_

 _And his little sister Jacqueline Kelly Spencer Born 11.25am 4lb1oz 43cm long._

 _Mum, Dad, son and daughter are all doing really well! No intervention needed, we look forward to meeting you all!_

 _Lots of love from the Spencer Family_

Well what do you think?"

"Steffy its perfect... just like they are, just like their mother!"

"Now we wait... I give it under an hour before someone visits us... you better go and let the nurses know that we are expecting visitors!"


	13. Chapter 13

_**Sorry for the MAJOR delay in posting this update... this is the last one I currently have written, I am trying to find the time to write the next chapter but life is rather busy at the moment! I currently do not have any more written but I do have plans for 2-3 more chapters maybe more if some inspiration hits me (hint hint Brad Bell)! I have found that the current story with Liam and Steffy isn't helping me, at all! Fingers crossed that some inspiration and time come my way soon!**_

Meanwhile at Forrester Creations Ridge, Caroline, Thomas and Taylor were in the middle of a meeting discussing the company, the new lines and the projected sales based on media interest and presales.

****Beep**** Beep****

The simultaneous beeping of incoming messages draws everyone away from their department reports.

"Do you think... Could that be from Steffy and Liam? Maybe the...!"

"Doc calm down!"

At the same time they all reach for their phones, noticing that the message is from Liam...

 _Sorry for cancelling your visits this morning, we had other things to deal with..._

 _Welcome to the world William 'Cooper' Spencer V born 11.15am 4lb5oz 48cm long_

 _And his little sister Jacqueline Kelly Spencer Born 11.25am 4lb1oz 43cm long._

 _Mum, Dad, son and daughter are all doing really well! No intervention needed, we look forward to meeting you all!_

 _Lots of love from the Spencer Family_

"Oh my goodness, Ridge, our baby just had babies! I'm a grandma! I knew something was up this morning when Liam called me to say she was resting!"

"Well I be damned, I am an uncle to the cutest little Niece and Nephew ever!"

"Spencer and I think that we need to postpone this meeting and go and meet the newest additions, to the family, he too wants to meet his niece and nephew!"

"Well my little man you and Mummy aren't the only ones who want to get to the hospital. Your Daddy wants to get there too!"

Ridge and Caroline look up to notice that Thomas and Taylor were already making their way towards the door. As they walk out past Pams desk they let her know to hold all calls and postpone any meetings that were set up for the day.

At Spencer Publications Katie and Bill are in the middle of making up after a stupid fight regarding the latest edition of Eye On Fashion when his phone goes off, blasting Emergency sirens to signal that it was a message from either Steffy or Liam.

"Mhhh got to get that..."

"What is more important than keeping your wife happy?"

"Nothing... except that message tone is set for Steffy and Liam... they cancelled visitors this morning, maybe, just maybe, I am a grandpa now..."

"Well I guess I can let you check your phone... it better be important that's all I can say!"

As he checks his phone a huge smile breaks out on his face, and he passes the phone to Katie who actually reads the message and doesn't just look at the picture.

 _Sorry for cancelling your visits this morning, we had other things to deal with..._

 _Welcome to the world William 'Cooper' Spencer V born 11.15am 4lb5oz 48cm long_

 _And his little sister Jacqueline Kelly Spencer Born 11.25am 4lb1oz 43cm long._

 _Mum, Dad, son and daughter are all doing really well! No intervention needed, we look forward to meeting you all!_

 _Lots of love from the Spencer Family_

"Wait did you say William Cooper and Jacqueline Kelly?"

"Yeah I did and she is tiny!"

"Well I'll be... Not only has my son carried on the tradition of calling the boys William but they have also included Liam's Mum in the names, she was Kelly Cooper, Kelly Hopkins once she married. A healthy boy and a girl, we are pretty lucky!"

"I think we should cancel our meetings for the afternoon... I know Allison can handle everything... I want to go and snuggle my tiny little precious..."

"Precious what, grandbabies? I know I am on board with being Grandpa Bill, but we have never spoken about how you are feeling, what you want to be called?"

"I never really thought about it until just now. You know I think of both Liam and Wyatt as my children, they are yours so that makes them mine, I, I just never processed that once these babies were born, I would need a name apart from Katie..."

"Well you are one smoking hot grandma if that makes you feel any better! And let's not forget that the twins have an uncle who is only 5 weeks older than them!"

At the hospital Liam and Steffy are relaxing on the bed with their babies in their arms, thinking about how their world has just changed!

"Do you ever wonder what she would have looked like as baby?"

"Hmm, who, Aspen? Steffy queried.

"Yeah, Aspen. Do you think she would have been just like Jacqueline; a little princess who minutes after being born hand me wrapped around her little fingers. Have you noticed how instantly she calms when I pick her up or when Cooper touches her? She does it for you too, but it is just different when I hold her..."

"You daddy are her safe place, I can relate to that, you calm me down instantly when I am in your arms too! Well sometimes you rev me up, but in the best way possible!"

"Oh yeah? Well my beautiful wife and gorgeous Mother of my babies, you do the same to me!" Liam manages to get the last word out before engaging in a kissing session.

"I think Cooper takes after you... he is calm and quiet, happy to lie down and watch the world go by... Miss Jacqueline on the other hand is all me, I think we are in for some trouble when she is older! She is defiantly going to be our wild child!"

"Who do you think is going to arrive first my Dad or you Mum?"

"Well Forrester Creations is closer than the Spencer Publications Office so chances are it could be the Forrester Family, but then again I wouldn't put it past your dad to use the helicopter to get here and avoid the LA traffic. So who knows?"

"Whoever gets here first better be in a sharing mood... I don't know how keen I am to let these little ones out of my arms just yet!"

"I think I could hold them forever and it still wouldn't be long enough!"

"Mmmm me too! I still can't believe that we created such perfect little humans!"

"Well we can! Just look at their parents! I mean the combination of Spencer and Forrester DNA, there wasn't a snowballs chance in hell these babies weren't going to be stunning!"

"Hey dad and family! What did you lot decide to meet in the lobby and come in together to prevent a fight over who got to meet them first!"

"Very funny cousin! Just so you know we actually walked out of different elevators onto the ward at the same time... Forrester's in one, Uncle Bill, Katie and Wyatt in another, fate just had it that we would arrive together!"

"Well I guess Liam and I should introduce you all to the next generation of fashion and media moguls! Baby Cooper, officially William Cooper Spencer the 5th, is a very calm and quiet little dude who scared us both to death when he barely made a sound when born, he pretty much whimpered and sighed and took in his surrounds, unlike his little sister, Jacqueline Kelly Spencer, who entered this world screaming the place down and only settled when she was placed into her daddies arms!"

"She definitely takes after her mother! Ridge do you remember when Steffy and Phoebe were born, Steffy you screamed the ward down until your father walked up to you, picked you up and held you in his arms! You have always been a Daddy's girl and it looks like you have passed that onto your daughter!"

"Alright enough talking about them... Grandpa Bill is ready to hold them now!"

As the grandparents and uncles play a game of pass the parcel, Caroline comes over to check on Steffy.

"How are you feeling? You look amazing by the way!"

"I feel pretty good, a little tender and tired but considering I had to deliver two babies I feel pretty good!"

"The last thing we heard you weren't even in labour..."

"I know, I woke up early this morning in a bit of discomfort, similar to what I had when I was admitted weeks ago but didn't think much of it and went back to sleep. When I woke later it was not long before Doctor Caspery was due to do her rounds so I didn't say anything to Liam. When she came in I asked her about what I should expect and I said I was having similar pains to before, she examined me at 9am ish and I was 4cm dilated, she told me to rest as it could be a long day. I started having more regular and stronger contractions that kept increasing so in the end at around 11am ish I asked Liam to get the Doctor and Nurse, Cooper was born at 11.15am and Jacqueline came 10 minutes later. We didn't even make it to the delivery suite!"

"Are you bloody serious! I was in labour with your brother for 36 hours! I think I had more drugs in me than a junkie on a Friday night!"

"What can I say my wife is a champion... no drugs, no gas, no broken hands on dad, hell almost no doctor for this little guy!" Liam says while kissing baby Cooper on the head.

"You should know by now baby, I live life in the fast lane... it make sense that my children what to follow!"

"Well I am proud of you Kiddo. Just look at what you and Liam have created! God help anyone who messes with this pair!"

"Thanks Dad... I have a feeling that Spencer and Cooper are going to be led astray by little miss Jacqueline though! God help us all, but I think it may be a little bit of payback for all the hell I put you and Mum through!"

After the visitors came and went Liam, Steffy and the twins were able to settle in for their first night as a family.

"So I was thinking that tomorrow morning I might go home and pick up a couple of things for you and the twins... we really don't have anything here for them and I am sure you would like a different selection of clothes to choose from."

"Hmm that sounds nice, home, I can't wait to get back there! I miss that place! I feel like I haven't been there in weeks... oh wait I haven't!"

"You are so funny baby Mumma! Cooper your Mumma thinks she is so funny! Yeah she does, she does!"

"And you thought I was going to be the only one who changed when we became parents!"

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"Liam they have you wrapped around their little fingers! I think it is adorable!"

"Stop!"

"In fact I find it sexy... my husband being the ever so loving father to our precious little babies!"

"Well then, I guess I can handle that! You know what they say... Happy Wife, happy life!"

"Mmmm I am happy! I don't think I have ever felt this happy ever in my life! You know I always thought that when I came home from Paris and we worked everything out, that was my happiest, but then you proposed and I became even happier, then we found out about the twins, then we got married... every day I spend with you my life, my world continues to be filled with happiness, love, perfection and joy! I have to tell you though, if anyone tries to mess with my family, with my children and my husband, you won't be able to control me so don't even think about holding me accountable for my actions!"

"Well lucky for you, I only have eyes for you! Well there is one other lady in my life but I think she is allowed... what do you say buddy, do we have enough space in our hearts for Mummy and little Miss Jacqueline? I think for the next say 30 years you and I little man, are going to be the only guys in your sisters life!"

"Haha! 30 years... Liam, baby, do I need to remind you of what we were doing together in our early 20's! Not to mention how old I was when I regained control of Forrester Creations from your father..."

"Ehhh god please never mention that time of our lives again! I like to live in denial that you and he were ever a thing! I am so glad you finally saw the light and moved onto the better Spencer before you two did anything more!"

"How could I resist my saviour? Who knew you returning his key would send us on this journey... my handsome man! You saved me in so many ways that day, physically, emotionally, mentally. You didn't just pull me out of a bathtub and give me CPR, you showed me what else I had to live for. I thought I had been in love before, with Marcus and with Bill but I was so wrong. I never knew true love, the kind of love that makes your heart ache when the other isn't around, until I fell for you, and now, the love we have now, nothing in the world will every change that! You Liam Spencer along with little Cooper and Jacqueline are my entire world. We could lose all our fame and fortunes and our companies and as long as I have the 3 of you I will be a happy woman!"

"I thank god every single day that I used that key to open your door! It has been a wild and eventful ride, but I would do it all again because look where we ended up!"

"Would you change anything... If you could go back and do it all again, knowing what you know now would you do anything different?"

"Hmm that's really hard! I hate the way my indecisiveness has hurt you in the past... how much I have hurt you, so I would like to think I would make better choices, but a major part of me, even though we both got hurt, thinks that those darker, harder times were needed to make our relationship as strong as it is now. That to truly know how much I love you I needed to try to experience love with Hope, but I still wish that you didn't get hurt so many times during that process. What about you would you change anything?"

"I would like to think we wouldn't hurt each other so much... That we would be exclusive... no making out, rolling around with blondes on our bed when you think I am on my way out of town. I would also change two stupid decisions that I made... No motorcycle and I certainly wouldn't up and leave for Paris! But then again if there was no motorcycle I wouldn't have left for Paris so..."

"Oh sweetheart, we can't play that game! We just can't! For all we know, that very day you could have been driving your car home and the exact same thing could have happened! That very same truck could have reversed out and hit you. We just don't know! Aspen told you herself, she wasn't destined for this world! She was sent as a challenge for us, for our relationship!"

"I know all this... I just sometimes wonder about what if's!"

"You want to know something else I would change..."

"Mmmm, what?"

"I should have followed you to Paris. I shouldn't have listened to the words you were saying but listened to what your face and body were telling me, what my heart was telling me. I should have realised that you needed me, that I needed to be the strong one, that all we needed was to be together and hold each other and grieve the loss of our baby! I will feel guilty for the rest of my life for not being there for you when you needed me the most. But what's done is done and we can't change the past. We can only move forward and be there for each other and our little family! I have endless love for the three of you!"

"I hate to say it, but our world is pretty perfect right now! We have two healthy babies, who while arriving early are doing so incredibly well. We have the love and support of both our families, we have amazing jobs, an amazing house and I guess my husband is okay too!"

"Just okay... not a perfect, handsome, manly man who takes care of your every want and need?"

"Well when you put it like that... I think I hit the jackpot when I married you Mr Spencer!" Steffy says as she leans in for a kiss. Just as their lips touch Jacqueline rouses from her sleep, letting both Mum and Dad know she is awake and wanting attention.

"I think someone might be hungry again..."

"Do you want me to get the nurse again?"

"No, let me try on my own first, we aren't going to have a nurse with us at home so I need to learn to do this on my own, I need to have a go first." She says as she starts to open her shirt.

"Can you strip her down for me while I get myself set up, once the fussy duck is attached I will get you to pass me Coop."

"Whatever you need my love!"

After a few minutes of fussing around Jacqueline finally latches on and starts feeding. Liam gently removes Cooper's clothes and places him in Steffy's waiting arm, where he automatically attaches himself without any issues.

"I am so mesmerised by this entire process. I can't get over how natural this being a mum thing is for you! You haven't freaked out about any of it, everything is just happening so naturally for you, for us!"

"Ha, it doesn't feel so easy... trust me... childbirth is no laughing matter that shit hurts. Not to mention this breastfeeding business... my boobs will never be the same, you my darling husband will be lucky if I ever let you near me again!"

"I would wait a lifetime if it would take away your pain and discomfort my love!"

"And then you say things like that and I melt inside! I promise it I won't be forever, but it will be a little while... at least 6 weeks baby and even then I can't make any promises! But I love you!"

"It will happen when it happens and when it does it will be amazing, because I will get to be with my beautiful wife, I will get to shower her with love and affection in the best way possible. In the mean time I am sure I can entertain myself. Hell have you seen the print and video campaigns from when my wife was the face of the Intimates line... I have plenty of visuals to help me out!"

"Ewww! Your Daddy is such a perv! Really print campaigns and videos...enjoy that because I have a feeling this body will never be quite the same after what it has just been through!"

"Hey I will have you know that those campaigns have gotten me into a lot of trouble in the past... especially the original one... that first interview we did together, that was when I realised just how mesmerising you were... you have had my heart in your hands in some way, shape or form since then! As for your body, my wife is fucking hot... it's been what, a couple of hours since you gave birth and you look like you could be on the cover of Eye on Fashion..."

"Oh god! Ouch! Hey little dude, that hurts! Not even your father is that rough with me... Cooper seriously! Liam help me out here, I haven't got a free hand and I am convinced your son is trying to inhale my boob, please pull him off, stick your finger in his mouth and break his seal!"

"He just knows when he is onto a good thing! He is my son after all!"

"Oh before I forget about it, we need to make our press release... I was hoping to do it once we got home... do you think we can keep them under wraps for that long... that way we can have Oliver come and take some nice photos of us all at home, get this Mumma back on the cover of Eye on Fashion... fully clothed this time!"

"Well we have managed to keep it under wraps that you're in here, so we should be able to keep it quiet for a little while longer. Our other option is to announce their arrivals and not release any photographs until we get home and that way you can have your big shoot!"

"Yeah maybe that is the way to go... we can make a decision tomorrow based on what the Doctors all say and how long we are all going to have to stay in here for. They all seem really happy with the twins. I heard one of the nurses saying that even though they are small, they are doing much better than was expected. I think Doctor Caspery mentioned that my dates may have been off by a week or two based on their development and that she can't see them needing the Special Care Nursery, which is really good. I know that when Phoebe and I were born we were only little, Mum made it to 38 weeks with us and we were only just 6lbs. Maybe we just make little babies! I hope we don't have to stay too long."

"I don't want to be here any longer than we have to either... but if the twins need to stay for longer, then that is what we will do. Hell I will hire our own private nurse to come and stay at the house if needed!"

It is at this moment that Liam notices Steffy's eyes getting heavy.

"My love I know you want to hold them close but I think it is time for use to put our sleeping miracles into their little crib and let you get some sleep... they will be awake before we know it and wanting a feed, which is only something you can do my lovely!"

"Sleep sounds amazing right now!"

"Rest my darling; we will all be here when you wake!"


End file.
